China on China

No other country in history has risen so quickly from poverty to prosperity. How was it possible? How did it take place and what happened along the way? An episode about historical recollection in the world's oldest and possibly most modern country.

How is China run, and how do the people get their say? Stories and interviews about China's ruling Communist Party, about being a representative of the people, about the potential political power of blogs, and about grassroots protests and mass incidents, which are only increasing in number.

Economic reforms have led to a divided China, which threatens not only individual survival, but even economic growth and the entire Chinese society. In this episode, we hear stories and interviews about the middle class, about poverty in rural areas and about the precarious existence of hundreds of millions of migrant workers on the fringes of the cities.

After the Revolution in 1949, legislation regarding equality was passed, a huge step forward for China at the time. The economic reforms of recent decades have also improved women's lives. Yet China is still the only country in the world where more women than men commit suicide (WHO).

In this episode, we look at the generational shift occurring in China. Older generations in today's China have grown up during the fastest economic boom in history. How will it be for their children?

In this episode, we look at literature and film in the cultural nation of China. Stories and interviews with authors who struggle with censorship and self-censorship, and about the thriving film industry, which seeks to top Hollywood.

In this episode, we examine China's tough environmental problems and the efforts being made to solve them. Stories and interviews about air pollution and increasing water shortages, about people fighting to improve the environment, and about the world's investments in solar energy.

In this episode, we look at how China's economic role in the world is growing at a record pace, with regard to both the size of its economy and its political influence. What does this mean for the rest of the world, now that China is reclaiming its role as a world power?