China: Power and Prosperity
From PBS NewsHour comes China: Power and Prosperity, an immersive feature-length exploration of the country's internal progress and growing sphere of power and influence across the globe.
Featuring insights from more than 70 interview subjects, the film examines the values promoted by President Xi Jinping, and how his embrace of Communist ideals is shaping the future of the country. Do his efforts represent a prosperous diagnosis for the Chinese people, or a compromised system that squanders personal freedoms?
In some parts of the country, the president enjoys a reputation as a leader of near mythic status. Evidence of the "cult of Xi" can be seen across the countryside. Billboards and films are produced in his honor and school curriculums are designed to promote his infallibility. Meanwhile, in cities like Hong Kong, protestors have taken to the streets to oppose the president's oppressive power plays and abolishment of essential human rights. They cite his extensive use of prisoner camps, surveillance cameras and other paranoia-based abuses of power.
With the Belt and Road initiative, the most expensive infrastructure development plan in history, Jinping has promised a lucrative opening to the rest of the world that will positively impact all Chinese people. Critics view it as a global beltway to unparalleled corruption.
The film also delves into China's technology stronghold, particularly as it relates to the trade wars being waged by American President Donald Trump. The filmmakers charge that China has stolen many of the most consequential products and technologies designed by the U.S. and adopted them as their own, including high-quality cameras, tennis shoes, and military hardware.
Almost every investigative segment in the film reveals the uneasy balance between the power and prosperity of its title. The country is rightfully pushing for electric cars on its roads, but greatly restricts the driving privileges of millions by distributing license plates only to select few through a lottery system. Surveillance companies claim their efforts are creating a safer environment for all, but others insist they are indulging in nefarious intelligence gathering.
China: Power and Prosperity is a comprehensive look at many aspects of modern Chinese life and industry, and how they impact the country's identity in the remainder of the world.
Excellent documentary though to short to dive deep enough. The US and China are two large countries with very different political systems. The US can never work equally with China since the judiciary, government, business and press are all beholden to the party. The one and only party. The party's timetable is not on a two year election cycle giving it planning and negotiating capacity. What the US needs to do is treat China as a competitor, not an enemy, but still limit dependency and out compete where we can.
This video is fully prejudiced! Selective blindness! Support violenc!
Pence is lying about the...about everything that comes out of his mouth. Also, how are Chinese bribes any different than lobbyists' bribes with Congress? Or even with Trump's presidential bribes. The present administration is about as corrupt as any president before. Maybe Nixon's VP, Spiro Agnew, is a close contender to Da Trump's corruption.
So now American businesses are whining because China learned from the United States government how to operate in other countries on how to compete, cheat and disrupt? It's called Blowback! Suck-it-up, do better and stop the whining, sniveling and lying politicians!
Common guys a publicly (i.e. partially American government) funded network released a documentary trashing the Chinese government on how the Chinese government brainwashes its people through propaganda and false messages. That's too much irony!!!! The movie was an endless list of examples of the most creepy things China does but the examples were totally cherry picked and there was nearly nothing positive said about China. How can you claim that to be a fair approach to doing a documentary called power and prosperity? where was the mention of the massive poverty alleviation or the life saving technology being developed in China? What a totally dishonest piece of reporting. Come on do better PBS!!!
i feel that the beginning of the documentary struck me as a very similar platform to what Trump has been doing in the U.S.- branding wise...perhaps not as extreme ( yet) as presented here but there are undertones. It amazed me then how it transitioned into people talking about how difficult Trump is being regarding trade issues. Yeah, it does seem a bit biased , but mostly just scary as far as how power can spiral quickly....wow..changing the laws regarding presidential terms? yikes!
Some good points raised but generally very biased representation; didn't manage to finish the whole documentary due to the hypocrisy.
Non-violent resistance by withdrawal of political, economic, and moral support for China is enough to win freedom. Violence will lose friends and weaken the protestors goal of local governance.
Propaganda arm of USA is at work again, spreading one sided negative information about its rivals.