China: Shaking the World

Money and expertise are now flowing in the other direction - from China to the rest of the world. China's economic resurgence has lifted hundreds of millions from poverty and helped the Communist Party maintain its authority and control - but potential dangers lie ahead.

Internally, there is a housing and construction bubble which some warn could burst, spreading problems far beyond China's borders.

Outside the country, there are threats of trade sanctions from recession-hit America, where many accuse China of manipulating its currency to gain an unfair advantage. Also, increasing competition for the resources vital to China's continued growth risk further international tension.

This documentary series examines the political, economic and cultural mechanisms of China's growing global influence. Michael Robinson, who documented China's awakening for the BBC almost 20 years ago, returns to assess the prospects and problems of the unrelenting shift of power from West to East.

This is an updated version of the documentary that was first broadcast on 12 July 2010

Not so long ago international businesses were pressing China to open its borders so they could penetrate the world's most populous country.

They believed Chinese consumers were just waiting to be sold commodoties by international companies. However it didn't quite go according to plan - in fact the opposite happened and the prey became the predator.

And the global recession, centred on the developed economies of America and Europe, has upset the balance further.

The recession has had some impact on China, but after a brief slowing down in growth (from a high pace), economists are getting ready for another Chinese spurt.

There is also the fact that China is awash with cash. It holds around a quarter of all US Federal Reserves - about $750bn. This, plus all the cash the Europeans owe, puts China in a position to dictate terms.

It has become the world's banker.

First broadcast on 19 July 2010

Disputes over wages and working conditions in the factories of China's east coast have grabbed most of the headlines in recent years. But there are long-simmering problems as well.

How to crack down on corrupt officials? What to do for farmers unhappy about the compensation they receive - or not - for land taken for development? All of these disputes underline a widening gap between China's rich and poor.

Wen Qiang, a former senior justice official in Chongqing, was the highest-ranking official arrested in the city's anti-corruption drive. He was executed in July 2010 (Photo: Xinhua)

This programme examines China's leaders attempts to manage these growing conflicts and calls for political change - not for multi-party democracy, as some in the West advocate, but for a shift from a system of absolute Communist Party rule to one where individual rights are protected under law.

First broadcast on 26 July 2010

The series has shown how China is barrelling ahead with new infrastructure and new strategies to import the latest industrial technologies.

China's leaders now want a more fundamental change: They want Chinese ideas and innovation to drive their economy.

This programme follows people at the leading edge of that effort, in the arts and sciences. For some, it's a time of unparalleled freedom.

Looking for new ideas: Prof Guosong Liu of Tsinghua University

Just look at some of the wacky buildings popping up in China's big cities. But others find creativity stifled by a traditional, top-down culture. Even at one of China's top universities, Tsinghua, some find it hard to generate original thought.

"This culture inhibits the evolution of new ideas," says Professor Guosong Liu. His colleague says this deferential culture will keep China behind the West in the race to create the next big thing.

First broadcast on 2 August 2010