Chinese President Xi Jinping is undeniably of huge importance not just to China but to the whole world, said Liz Mcleod, a British senior television producer who supervised the production of a documentary on Xi's ideas and visions on governance.[Special Coverage]
The three-episode documentary, titled "China: Time of Xi" and produced by independent production company Meridian Line Films, was broadcast on Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific to over 200 million viewers in 37 countries and regions.
"Discovery felt that a series that introduced President Xi and his policies to the audience around the time of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) would be interesting to their viewers," Mcleod said to Xinhua in a written interview.
The first episode, "People's Republic," features stories about poverty reduction, reform of health care system, construction of high-speed trains and various other fields relating to people's everyday life.
The second episode, "Running China Now," introduces case studies regarding China's supply-side reform, technological innovation and pollution management, among other successful endeavors of the country on the domestic front.
The final part, "All Aboard," features China's major global initiatives and undertakings.
By touching on some of Xi's personal history and by including some of his important speeches, the documentary is to help viewers come closer to this man and understand the forces that have shaped him, said Mcleod, a co-founder of Meridian Line Films.
"Xi Jinping is always extremely measured and temperate in his public speeches and comments," she said, noting that "his support for action on climate change is reassuring when the world faces such a potential catastrophe and scientists are warning the time for action is now."
Meanwhile, Mcleod took note of the positive attitude of the Chinese people. "Where the Europeans see problems and roadblocks, the Chinese see opportunities," she said.
It's an attitude that can be seen every day on the streets of China, noted Mcleod, who has visited China regularly since 1985.
The Chinese people are confidently looking for the next opportunity and then they have the imagination to try to take it, Mcleod said. "I think that new confidence and energy is the most striking change that I have witnessed in China."
Having met many experts on China when filming and researching for the documentary, she said that the crew also felt strongly that China's success and focus on poverty reduction might have lessons to offer to policy makers and governments worldwide.
China's internal policies, like its reforms to the economy, have a big global influence as well, Mcleod commented. "They're not just of relevance to China."
The documentary includes interviews with a number of experts and scholars, including former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, U.S. scholar Robert Kuhn, British scholar Martin Jacques, Singapore-based scholar Zheng Yongnian and Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo.
