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| NRTA Unveils New System for Chinese Drama Credits to Ensure Fairer Billing. (Credits: Sohu) |
China’s television regulator has moved to overhaul one of the drama industry’s most contentious traditions: the order of actors’ names in opening credits. At the 2026 China Television Production Industry Conference in Shenzhen on 13 March, Feng Shengyong, director of the Television Series Drama Division at the National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA), confirmed that new rules will standardise cast billing using a simple principle — the number of strokes in an actor’s real surname.
The shift could fundamentally reshape how cast hierarchies are presented in Chinese television dramas, where billing order has long been tied to star status, fan influence and commercial value. By introducing a fixed system, regulators hope to remove the bargaining battles that frequently erupt between talent agencies, production teams and fan communities.
Under the proposed framework, actors will no longer secure top billing purely through popularity or market leverage. Instead, the placement of names will follow the stroke count of their surnames in Chinese characters. Names with fewer strokes will appear earlier in the credits.
In practical terms, this means an actor with the surname Wang (王) — written with four strokes — would appear ahead of someone with the surname Wei (魏), which contains seventeen strokes. The approach draws on a long-standing linguistic convention often used in official Chinese listings, dictionaries and academic references.
For years, billing order — known in the industry as “fanwei” or position ranking — has been a flashpoint for conflict. Negotiations over who appears first in promotional posters or title sequences have delayed productions, strained cast relations and sparked heated debate among fan communities online.
Feng told delegates that the industry must confront these disputes head-on.
“The problems caused by fighting over billing positions have seriously troubled the industry,” he said during his keynote speech. “They must be resolved.”
ICYMI: Top Billing Controversy Explained.
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| New NRTA Policy Could Reshape Casting Hierarchies in Chinese Dramas |
The regulator’s new approach aims to remove subjective negotiation from the equation. By applying a neutral standard based on written names, officials hope to shift attention back to storytelling and production quality rather than celebrity hierarchy.
The policy announcement was part of a broader speech on reforming China’s long-form television drama sector, which faces growing competition from short-form entertainment and digital platforms.
Feng stressed that audiences are not turning away from longer series themselves — they are simply unwilling to watch slow or poorly constructed shows.
“Viewers are not rejecting long dramas,” he said. “They are rejecting ones without strong stories.”
He also warned that relying solely on celebrity appeal is no longer a viable strategy for producers.
“Traffic and popularity can be a double-edged sword,” he said, urging creators to prioritise content quality rather than casting decisions driven purely by star power.
A Push to Open Doors for New Actors
Alongside the billing reform, regulators signalled plans to support emerging performers within major productions.
Feng revealed that authorities are exploring a mechanism to promote new actors into leading line-ups, ensuring that some prominent positions in future projects are reserved for rising talent rather than established stars.
The move reflects growing concern within the industry that casting has become overly concentrated among a small pool of high-profile performers.
By encouraging newcomers into headline roles, regulators hope to refresh the talent pipeline and reduce dependence on celebrity-driven marketing.
Another proposal involves collective training sessions for key creative teams before major productions begin filming. These sessions would include actors, directors and writers, with the aim of improving collaboration and professional standards across projects.
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Until now, the government largely acted as a mediator when billing disputes emerged. While industry associations occasionally issued guidance, there was no clear nationwide formula determining credit order.
The new stroke-count rule represents a more direct intervention designed to standardise the process.
For production companies, it may simplify negotiations that previously dragged on for weeks during contract discussions. For actors and agencies, however, it removes one of the most visible indicators of status within a drama’s promotional material.
Some fans welcomed the change as a practical solution to long-running industry drama.
One widely shared comment on Chinese social platforms read: “Finally, no more endless fights about who gets first place.”
Others joked that the rule might spark a new wave of stage names designed to manipulate stroke counts.
“Watch everyone suddenly choosing surnames with fewer strokes,” another user wrote.
Some netizens questioned whether agencies would still find ways to negotiate alternative promotional arrangements, even if the official credit order becomes standardised.
Meanwhile, supporters of newer actors said the proposal to promote fresh faces could help break the dominance of established stars.
Industry observers note that fan-driven campaigns around billing positions have often escalated into online arguments, with supporters of rival actors competing over poster layouts, trailers and promotional banners.
By removing star power from the equation, the regulator appears to be aiming for a calmer and more predictable system.
What It Means for the Future of Chinese Dramas?
If implemented widely, the stroke-count method could reshape the visual hierarchy of Chinese drama marketing — from opening credits to posters and streaming platform listings.
It may also signal a broader shift in how the industry balances celebrity influence with creative priorities.
For producers, the message from regulators is increasingly clear: focus on strong scripts and high-quality storytelling rather than relying on star billing to drive attention.
Whether the new rules will completely eliminate disputes remains to be seen. Talent agencies are known for negotiating complex promotional arrangements beyond the credit sequence itself.
Still, the announcement marks one of the most direct attempts yet to bring order to one of Chinese television’s most persistent backstage battles.
What do you think about the new rule? Would a stroke-count system actually make drama credits fairer, or will fans and agencies simply find new ways to compete?