Clash of the Superpowers: America vs China coming to BBC
March 10, 2026
Zinc Media Group’s international label, Brook Lapping, brings Clash of the Superpowers: America vs China (2 x 60”) to BBC Two and iPlayer.
America and China: two vast military powers competing across the globe, but whose economies are deeply interconnected, even dependent on one another. Clash of the Superpowers: America vs China details the inside story of this tumultuous relationship from the moment Donald Trump first took office, through to the extraordinary ructions over trade that are playing out in his second term.
Airing on BBC Two and iPlayer on March 23rd, the two-part documentary takes viewers through key moments in this fascinating story as these two superpowers have gone head-to-head over the past decade, told by key players in America, and Chinese academics who give the inside track from Beijing. Audiences will also hear from those countries caught in the middle, not least the UK.
From tariffs to TikTok, the series explores how Trump and Joe Biden have locked horns with Xi Jinping and in doing so have left the rest of the world grappling with the consequences – a gripping story that gives viewers a rare insight into the power struggle that continues today.
Brook Lapping, producers of award-winning international documentaries such as Putin vs The West and Israel and the Palestinians: The Road to 7 October, has secured first hand testimonies from those at the heart of political decision making in the US-China relationship – including those who led the often-fraught negotiations.
Former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, describes how she ignored threats from the Chinese government, as well as warnings from Biden’s team, to embark on a controversial visit to Taipei. HR McMaster, National Security adviser in Trump’s first term, describes an extraordinary visit to Beijing in which Jinping pulled out all the stops in trying to impress the US President with a show of Chinese culture and history. The former UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, talks about how Britain can find itself caught in the crossfire between America and China.
Other interviewees include John Bolton, Trump’s former National Security Adviser, and Jake Sullivan, Biden’s National Security Adviser; Scott Morrison, Former Prime Minister of Australia; former UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson; and David Lee, former Foreign Minister of Taiwan. From the Chinese side, interviewees include Xiang Lanxin, Professor of International Relations at East China Normal University and Wang Huiyao, Counsellor to the Chinese State Council.
Percy said: “We make programmes which go inside the room when the top decisions are made. On China I thought that would be extremely challenging – and it’s true that access was even more difficult than usual. But the team got access to some brilliant contributors who convey what it was like at the top table for some extraordinary moments.”
Jo Carr, Head of BBC Current Affairs, added: “No one is better than Norma Percy and team when it comes to offering insight to audiences on how decision makers regard the biggest questions facing the UK and the world. We are delighted to bring high-quality films like this to audiences.”
Clash of the Superpowers: America vs China is Series-Directed by Tim Stirzaker, with Norma Percy as Series Producer, Barry Ronan as Producer-Director and Lucy Hetherington as Executive Producer. It was commissioned for the BBC by Joanna Carr and Gian Quaglieni for transmission on BBC Two and iPlayer. International sales are being handled by BBC Studios.
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