China's science fiction (sci-fi) industry registered a total revenue of 126.1 billion yuan ($17.4 billion) in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 15.7 percent, exceeding 100 billion yuan ($13.8 billion) for three consecutive years, according to a report released by the China Research Institute for Science Popularization.

The industry has undergone a rapid rise, evolving from a niche subculture into a new economic engine. No longer fragmented or nascent, it now forms a modern, momentum-driven system. This growth reflects a powerful narrative: the deep integration of China's technological hard power and cultural soft power.

The growth of China's sci-fi industry is primarily based on the leapfrog development of the country's science and technology strength. In recent years, China has made breakthroughs in cutting-edge fields such as lunar exploration, AI, quantum communication and commercial aerospace, providing continuous inspiration and confidence for sci-fi creation.

For instance, real-world technological achievements such as China's lunar and Mars missions have made certain sci‑fi scenarios, like interplanetary travel, feel less like fantasy and more like a distant possibility. When the film The Wandering Earth 2 was released in 2023, "national teams" including China National Nuclear Corp. and China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. declared: "Imagine it, and we will make it happen."

At the industry level, technological progress has directly empowered sci-fi content creation, driving a rapid evolution from text and images to immersive, interactive, multimodal experiences, in turn generating new models like digital content production and immersive tourism.

The core competitiveness of China's sci-fi industry lies in its deep integration with traditional Chinese culture, history and values. Chinese literary sci-fi works such as The Wandering Earth and The Three-Body Problem emphasize collectivist values, differing from the individual heroism often seen in Western sci-fi.

This distinct Eastern perspective offers an alternative value system to the global sci-fi landscape and encourages cross-cultural reflection on civilizational differences and humanity's shared future. Industry insiders believe China's sci-fi industry is at a pivotal stage of transitioning from a sector with sound fundamentals to a mature, globally competitive powerhouse. Future development will continue to draw from Chinese culture, mythology, history and craftsmanship to create authentic Chinese sci-fi icons.