From 'Made in China' to 'Created in China': The new era of global IP

Editor's Note: Ma Jiwei is an assistant researcher at the Institute of State System Research at Zhejiang University. The article reflects the author's views, and not necessarily those of CGTN.

As the action RPG (role-playing game) Black Myth: Wukong garnered four major nominations, including the coveted "Game of the Year" at The Game Awards 2024, it has shifted the global industry's attention to Chinese gaming and game developers. At almost the same time, a "quirky-cute" art toy named Labubu has gone viral on global social media, taking the world by storm.

The breakout success of these products, from games and art toys to web novels, anime, and online dramas proliferating on overseas streaming platforms, not only marks the rising influence of both traditional and contemporary Chinese culture, but also unveils a profound revolution in China's business model of globalization. That is, Chinese enterprises are taking a strategic leap from the traditional model of "product export" to a new phase of "brand and IP export".

This shift is no accident, but an inevitable outcome of China's economic transition toward a service economy and the continuous upgrading of its industrial structure. As "Made in China" gradually gives way to "services from China" and "brands from China", a new chapter of globalization characterized by creativity and added value is unfolding.

Gaming and art toys: Two samples of the new brand strategy

The gaming industry is the vanguard of China's IP expedition. The success of Black Myth: Wukong lies in its masterful fusion of top-tier industrial production with a profound Chinese cultural core. Rather than simply replicate the Chinese literary classic Journey to the West, the game designers reinterpret it with a modern, philosophical lens, transforming an Eastern myth into a universal tale of truth-seeking that resonates emotionally with players worldwide. This marks a newfound confidence and capability among Chinese game developers to set the global cultural agenda.

While the game Wukong represents a breakthrough in Chinese cultural narrative, the Labubu by Pop Mart has pioneered a new paradigm with "less stress on culture, more focus on emotion". In 2024, the overseas revenue of Pop Mart skyrocketed by 375.2 percent. The core of its business success lies not in selling toys itself, but in managing the emotional value and brand community that its IPs carry. By leveraging the thrill of blind boxes, the fulfillment of collecting, and social media virality, Pop Mart has elevated Labubu from a "Made in China" product to a global cultural icon, which epitomizes the strategic shift from product export to brand export.

Web novels and online dramas: A tech-empowered ecosystem expedition

In terms of content dissemination, the overseas journey of Chinese web novels and online dramas has vividly illustrated how services from China can be scaled globally.

Chinese web novels, with their unique themes like xianxia (immortal heroes) and xuanhuan (fantasy), offer global readers fresh cultural experiences. What's even more revolutionary is the use of AI translation in web novel export, as exemplified by Webnovel, a platform under Yuewen China Literature. It has slashed translation costs by over 90 percent and boosted efficiency nearly a hundredfold by using AI technology. The use of AI has not only enabled a massive volume of Chinese stories to reach global readers at low cost, but has also catalyzed a shift from "content export" to "content ecosystem export". By nurturing 120,000 local creators in 2024, Webnovel is forging a China-led global digital content ecosystem.

At the downstream of China's IP value chain are the increasingly popular Chinese anime and online dramas. Many hit shows on Netflix and Crunchyroll, such as Hidden Love (Tou Tou Cang Bu Zhu) and Heaven Official's Blessing (Tian Guan Ci Fu), are adapted from market-tested web novel IPs in China. Such a model of "web novels to screen" amplifies an IP's value across multiple media, showcasing Chinese enterprises' growing sophistication in full-industry-chain operations.

From manufacturing to services and brands: A profound structural transformation

The shift from "Made in China" to "services from China" and "brands from China" is an inevitable outcome of a maturing, service-oriented economy and a new generation of global-minded companies. In 2024, China's service industry accounted for 56.7 percent of its GDP, becoming the largest segment of the country's economy. The rise and export of the Chinese cultural industry products, as a core component of the knowledge-intensive services, have epitomized this macro-trend.

As the gaming company provides entertainment as an ongoing service, the art toy brand delivers emotional value through community management, and the web novel platform offers creation services empowered by AI technology, "Made in China" is undergoing an epochal upgrade to "services from China" and "brands from China". Behind this lies the full maturation of Chinese enterprises' international capabilities — they are no longer relying solely on cost advantages, they are also claiming higher-value positions in global supply chains through brands, technology, and cultural substance.

To be sure, the road ahead is not without challenges, including complex IP protection, the ongoing need to bridge the cultural discount, and a volatile geopolitical landscape. But one thing is certain. From Wukong to Labubu, China's cultural industry has embarked on a global expedition. This is not just about commercial success; it heralds the arrival of a new era of globalization, one in which Chinese brands and Chinese services will be major participants.