Mao and the Modern World

This episode explores the period from the birth of the Chinese republic in 1911 to the civil war, bloody Japanese occupation, the coming to power of Mao and the Communist Party, the Cultural Revolution, and up to the present day. We visit Tiananmen Square, the booming skyscraper cities of Shanghai and Beijing, and President Xi’s Belt and Road. How has the tumultuous last 100 years impacted Communist China’s ambitions as a superpower today and its relations with Taiwan, which also sees itself as the rightful guardian of Chinese history and culture?