Season 6 · Episode 1

NHK WORLD PRIME: Heirs of the Red Gene: A Century of Chinese Communist Rule

In 2020, the Communist Party of China celebrated its centenary, hailing its own legacy as a so-called "red gene." What does that "red gene" actually mean for ruling a country of 1.4 billion people under a one-party state? We spent 3 months embedded with Party branches in 2 rural communities to chronicle the disparities in development, prosperity and ideological indoctrination. As the Party gears up to mark its 100th year, the supreme leader of China, Xi Jinping, pushes a "back to the roots" strategy of indoctrination called "passing on the red gene." How is the Party's history being presented to the people of China today? How are local cadres dealing with social disparities driven by big-money capital flows? See the real face of today's China as we spend 3 months in frontline rural Party branches.