Since Marco Polo, the fabled markets of China have drawn the west like a magnet. This ancient culture has been colonized by foreign powers, buffeted by war and revolution, yet China remains one of the most constant of international influences. It is a sleeping giant. Many fear, and some welcome its awakening. This presentation examines both the changing and constant face that China has offered to the world.

The World’s Political Hot Spots series explains the basis of conflicts in some of the world’s most politically sensitive areas. Many of these regions are in today’s headlines, and tensions recently have become violent in virtually all of them. Each presentation covers up to ten centuries of background, revealing how and why today's problems occur.