纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利80周年大会

FRONTLINE examines the rise of Xi Jinping, his vision for China and the global implications. Correspondent Martin Smith traces the defining moments for President Xi, how he’s exercising power and his impact on China, and relations with the U.S. and the world.

While global attention focuses on Ukraine, the Middle East, and Trump’s trade policies, the situation in East Asia is shifting rapidly. Former wartime enemies Japan and South Korea are drawing closer and aligning themselves with Taiwan. An emerging alliance is forming—one that, together with the U.S., positions itself against China. But does this strengthen peace, or turn East Asia into a powder keg?

Ahead of the state visit to Britain by Chinese Premier Xi Jinping, the BBC's China Editor Carrie Gracie retraces his remarkable career from living in a cave to becoming the most powerful Chinese leader in decades.

On January 23, 2020, the Chinese authority imposed a lockdown in Wuhan, as well as other cities in the Hubei province, in an attempt to prevent the Corona-virus from spreading further across the nation.

The rise of China’s billionaires tells the story of a nation that has transformed from a place of poverty in the 1980s into the world’s second-largest economy. Once known as the world’s cheap labor factory, China has now become a factory for billionaires—producing almost one a day. No other country without a democracy creates wealth at such speed. But that rise may soon come to a halt: China’s top entrepreneurs find themselves caught in a cold war with a suspicious United States—and President Xi is cracking down hard. Tycoons are being silenced and re-educated to align with the superpower’s new strategic goals.

Privileged, yet shaped by oppression during Mao’s Cultural Revolution – this is how China’s President Xi Jinping grew up. A childhood and youth that would leave lasting marks on the world. Xi was molded early on for the role of leading a global superpower. But just how deeply he internalized Mao’s ideas only became clear over time, as authoritarian traits emerged that no one had quite anticipated – especially considering that Xi’s own father was a victim of the Cultural Revolution.

TikTok’s overwhelming success also carries political weight: As the world’s most downloaded app, it challenges American tech giants and intensifies the rivalry between the two global leaders in digital development—the U.S. and China. How is Washington responding? Can it protect its dominance in the media landscape?

For a long time, strong ties with China guaranteed German businesses cheap goods and solid profits. But China has not only caught up in many areas—it has overtaken. What was once a partnership has become a dependency. And that dependency is becoming harder to ignore. China is no longer just an economic powerhouse—it’s asserting itself politically, too. Whether in the Ukraine war, its ties to Russia, or ongoing threats toward Taiwan, China has shifted from a quiet partner in globalization to a self-confident global power. In Berlin, politicians are waking up to a new reality: what used to be a relationship has turned into reliance—and cutting ties isn’t that simple.

The “Chinese Dream”: a return to former greatness – that is Xi’s goal. He challenges Hong Kong’s special status just as he pushes for the reunification of Taiwan with the mainland. Military force and confrontation with the United States are not off the table.

Right in the heart of the South China Sea, the Philippines find themselves on the front line of the conflict between Beijing and Washington. As tension mounts between the two countries, we take an in-depth look at the situation in the archipelago.

Since Xi Jinping’s 2014 visit, Duisburg became a key hub in China’s New Silk Road—symbol of growing ties between China and Europe. Massive investments promised economic growth, but COVID lockdowns and the Ukraine war disrupted the plan. This documentary explores how cities like Duisburg, Liège, and Genoa are caught between opportunity and dependency. Is China’s promise turning into a geopolitical trap?

TikTok’s explosive success isn’t just the triumph of a single company. The video platform also holds major political significance for its country of origin—China—challenging the United States’ long-standing dominance in the digital sphere. In this new power struggle between the two global giants, the battle centers around the collection and use of personal data...