The highly anticipated FRONTLINE special, China, The U.S. & The Rise of Xi Jinping premieres tonight at 10 p.m. ET on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS app. This in-depth documentary delves into the defining moments of Xi Jinping’s rise to power, his vision for China, and the far-reaching global implications of his leadership. Xi Jinping has wielded immense influence as China’s president since 2012 and the leader of the world’s most populous country. Under his leadership, China has become a significant player on the global stage, steering an economy that is the second largest by GDP and advancing a strong nationalist agenda encapsulated in the "Chinese Dream." Xi’s impact on U.S.-China relations and international dynamics takes center stage in this comprehensive exploration, directed and produced by Marcela Gaviria and Martin Smith, with insights from journalist and cultural commentator Jianying Zha.
FRONTLINE’s executive producer, Raney Aronson-Rath, explained the timeliness of this documentary during the TCA Summer Press Tour, saying the team had discussed making such a film for years but felt now was the right moment. “We talked about doing a big documentary like this for years, and this definitely seems like the time. If you look at even our reporting on AI and the threat of China through the years, the competition with China, I think this is the first time we’ve had the time, the breadth, and the experience to go and look at what’s actually been happening inside China. And for us looking at the current landscape, it’s one of the most important stories that we should all be looking at.” The film offers a deep dive into Xi’s consolidation of power, including the controversial 2018 amendment to China's constitution, which eliminated presidential term limits and expanded Xi’s authority.
Producing a documentary about Xi Jinping presented extraordinary challenges, as Marcela Gaviria described. At the time of this press conference in July, the special had just received its title but was still in production. “Just this week, it was really interesting, we titled the film finally… all of a sudden, we had four interviews scheduled in China, and everybody backed out just because the title included Xi’s name. Which is bonkers.” Chinese authorities further complicated the production by refusing to license key footage. Gaviria reflected on the implications of these restrictions: “To even secure footage of Xi from CCTV, there has been an order placed to not license us any footage. And so we might end up having to show the film with watermarks on it because we will never get our hands on the actual high-definition footage.”
The documentary reveals the paradoxes of Xi’s leadership, including his emphasis on Chinese nationalism while embracing Western consumerism. Director Martin Smith highlighted this contradiction, recalling his experiences in China: “They walked this line between embracing Western culture, Western movies to some extent. And yes, I was in Beijing and Shanghai in January, and I went through the malls. All the stores that we all know from our malls are there, doing great business. So they're having it both ways.” Smith also examined the U.S.-China trade imbalance, pointing to Xi’s role in navigating international trade dynamics. “We tell the story about how China was able to enter the World Trade Organization on the assumption that they would adopt rules of trade and finance… And China didn't do that. They said they would, but they cheated,” he said.
Journalist Jianying Zha offered a deeply personal perspective, having grown up during Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution and witnessing China’s transformation. “I was born and raised in Beijing and grew up during Mao’s cultural revolution. So, I came in the 80s as a student, and then I went back to work as a journalist, both in Chinese and English,” she recalled. Zha compared Xi’s leadership style to historical emperors, emphasizing his control over the Politburo and the power he has consolidated. “He’s gone back even more than Chairman Mao, who had a more sizable kind of generals and Long March, you know, elders to deal with. So in a way, he’s sort of almost brought back… the emperor's tradition of surrounding himself with the eunuchs,” she explained.
As Xi Jinping continues to reshape China’s role in the world, FRONTLINE’s latest documentary offers essential insights into one of the most consequential figures of our time. Don’t miss the premiere of China, The U.S. & The Rise of Xi Jinping tonight at 10 p.m. ET on PBS.