Xi Jinping: The Leader

The documentary opens with a smiling 31-year-old Xi Jinping aboard a boat on the Mississippi River. The young man who read Mark Twain and savored America’s freedom is today leader of a nation, which poses a threat to its neighbors, and which is at loggerheads with the USA. At a time when China is at odds with the West over international affairs and values, many details about its leader are conspicuously absent. We know little about what motivates his actions. How did this authoritarian leader appear and what are his plans for China on the global stage? NHK studied more than 300 primary sources accumulated over 40 years, such as Xi’s speeches to the party and the military, as well as interviews with former US government officials who had direct encounters with the man, to shed light on the origins of Xi’s governing methods and his views on history. This documentary focusing squarely on the Chinese president aired across Japan in May 2023 on the final day of the G7 Hiroshima Summit. The leaders attending this gathering, among other things, had discussed Taiwan, Hong Kong, and economic pressure. The program attracted high viewer ratings and much comment from viewers.