Series surveys the last 150 years of economic and political development in the Pacific Basin, and the connections between the nations of eastern Asia and the United States. 1. The Two Coasts of China: Asia and the Challenge of the West Discusses the clash of Western and Chinese cultures as China's ports were transformed into trading centers and technological advances displaced traditional ways of working and living. As a result of China's slowness to change, her power and influence over the Pacific theater quickly diminished, and Japan stepped into the forefront. Stories of the Mongol Invasions, Opium Wars and the Boxer Rebellion are recreated using original production footage shot in Mongolia, China, Japan and Southeast Asia. 2. The Meiji Revolution Discusses the clash of Western and Chinese cultures as China's ports were transformed into trading centers and technological advances displaced traditional ways of working and living. As a result of China's slowness to change, her power and influence over the Pacific theater quickly diminished, and Japan stepped into the forefront. Stories of the Mongol Invasions, Opium Wars and the Boxer Rebellion are recreated using original production footage shot in Mongolia, China, Japan and Southeast Asia. 3. From the Barrel of a Gun Describes the revolution began by Asia's political leaders following WW II. Shows how the Pacific war, the cultural revolution in China and the Vietnam War stem from the roots of nationalism. The end of colonial dominance and the subsequent rise of nationalism and communism are told through the lives of Ho Chi Minh, The Vietnamese revolutionary, and Sukarno, the founding father of Indonesia. 4. Writers and Revolutionaries The lives of Lu Xun, China's greatest modern writer, and Kita Ikki, the famous Japanese philosopher, are highlighted. Both revolutionaries explored the traditional strengths and weaknesses of their societies, with Lu Xun writing scathing satires aimed at China's ineffective leadership. Kita Ikki, on the other hand, watched with alarm as his radical teachings were distorted by right wing extremists and used to design a monstrous blueprint for a Japanese world empire. Details how China became vulnerable to the threat of the encroaching Japanese. 5. Reinventing Japan Describes the allied relationship that developed between the U.S. and Japan following WW II. Set to the sounds of big band jazz, the program tells the stories of real men and women--both American and Japanese--who lived through the Occupation. Reveals the unexpected results of America's ambitious efforts to mold Japan into its own image and analyzes the astonishing present-day consequences. 6. Inside Japan, Inc. Examines the economic miracle of post-war Japan and the increasing tensions between Japan and the United States because of Japan's resolve to control its own economic destiny. 7. Big Business and the Ghost of Confucius Describes the economic success stories of Taiwan, South Korea and Singapore. Examines how these newly industrialized countries moved to the forefront of the world economy so rapidly. Examines the role played by America and Confucian beliefs in shaping the successful formula for East Asian capitalism and grapples with the question of the role of government in economic growth. Presents profiles and interviews of politicians and business leaders like former Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, and the chairman of South Korea's Hyundai Corp. 8. The Fight for Democracy Documents the struggle for democracy in South Korea. Discusses South Korea's economic development and the government's policies, including loans to companies such as Hyundai, where the lifting of the government ban on unions led to conflict with workers. The documentary examines Korea's political history from its beginnings through Japanese occupation, the Korean War, the uprising in Kwangju in 1980, and the massive protests of 1987, to the present. Analyzes historical Anti-American attitudes and today's grassroots political movements. 9. Sentimental Imperialists: America in Asia Examines the stereotypic attitudes of Westerners towards Asia from 1776 to the present. Presents specific case studies of the U.S. relationships with China and the Philippines. 10. The Pacific Century: The Future of the Pacific Basin Confronts the economic, political, and cultural challenges that must be faced to secure America's future as a global player in the Pacific Basin region.

The Pacific Century

Pacific Basin Institute/KCTS

1992

2003.036.001