China and the world

Synopsis

China has experienced the most rapid industrialisation in the history of mankind.

Three decades of unbroken economic growth has transformed the country from an agricultural backwater into the second biggest economy on earth. And its seemingly inexorable rise continues. By some estimates China could overtake America within as little as a decade.

So how is the rest of the world responding to the the emergence of this new superpower?

We have the results of an exclusive global poll for the BBC World Service which has been exploring just that. Justin Rowlatt interviews Doug Millar, the chairman of Globe Scan, the company which conducted the research.

The BBC survey suggests concern about China's increasing economic power particularly pronounced in America, China's greatest economic rival.

The impact of China's rise on America has been a major preoccupation of Thomas Friedman, one of America's most influential commentators. Thomas Friedman is a three times Pullitzer prize-winning columnist with the New York Times. Justin Rowlatt met him at his home in Washington.

The growth of China may present a challenge to America but to many other countries it presents an incredible opportunity. Trade between China and Brazil is, for example, booming.

The Brazilian billionaire Eike Batista is, according to Forbes Magazine's latest rich list, the world's eighth richest man. He boasts he is worth over $30bn and he's acquired the bulk of those billions in just the last few years thanks - in large part - to China.

Mr Batista's latest project has been built specifically with the Chinese in mind. It is a a giant "superport" at Acu, few hundred kilometres north of Rio de Janeiro. Justin Rowlatt spoke to Mr Batista in his office overlooking Rio bay.

And we've got a fascinating report from our regular commentator, Lucy Kellaway of the Financial Times. With growth last year of over 10%, China is the fastest-growing major economy on earth so you would think that the rest of the world could learn from the way it does business. That's certainly what Lucy imagined when she set off for a visit.