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Episode 3

Michael Robinson looks at the social tensions within China that threaten the growth upon which much of the rest of the world now relies.

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.

In hhis programme Michael Robinson 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.

Available now

25 minutes

Last on

Mon 14 Feb 2011 03:05GMT

Broadcasts

  • Mon 7 Feb 2011 09:05GMT
  • Mon 7 Feb 2011 12:05GMT
  • Mon 7 Feb 2011 15:05GMT
  • Mon 7 Feb 2011 20:05GMT
  • Tue 8 Feb 2011 01:05GMT
  • Sat 12 Feb 2011 10:05GMT
  • Sun 13 Feb 2011 13:05GMT
  • Mon 14 Feb 2011 03:05GMT