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Business Matters: Violent clashes and arrests in Wukan, China.

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Violent clashes and arrests in Wukan, China.

14/09/2016 GMT

BBC World Service - Business Matters, Violent clashes and arrests in Wukan, China.

We discuss the crackdown on protests in a part of China experimenting with democracy.

We discuss the crackdown on violent protests in a part of China experimenting with democracy, the trial of the 91-year old former boss of AIG and the prospect of driverless cars.

How does a quiet, small fishing port in Southern China, once proudly trumpeted as a rare example of grassroots democracy, devolve into a scene of violent unrest? In the past 24 hours riot police have been on the streets of Wukan, trying to take back control with tear gas and rubber bullets. Villagers have responded with bottles and bricks.  The story of the protests actually dates back to 2011 with accusations that corrupt officials were involved in illegal land grabs in the area. In recognition of that climate of tension, and in a rare compromise by the Chinese government locals were allowed to elect popular Lin Zuluan as village chief. Now he’s in jail, charged with corruption and the people of Wukan are furious, insisting his televised confession was forced and the charges are political. Is this all part of a wider trend of President Xi tightening his grip on the nation? We ask an East Asia expert what he thinks of the authorities’ actions.

Almost a decade after the original charges were filed against him, former AIG boss "Hank" Greenberg is on trial in New York. He's accused of cooking the books to make the insurance giant appear more financially sound than it actually was. He denies any wrongdoing, but why has it taken so long for this to come to trial? The BBC's Samira Hussein fills us in on the details.

Fancy a ride in a car with no-one at the wheel? How about a car with no steering wheel at all? That's what car giant Ford are proposing by 2025. Michelle Flery went for a ride in an advanced prototype being tested in Michigan. 

Rob Young is joined throughout the programme by Sushma Ramachandran in New Dehli and Nicole Childers, senior producer of Marketplace Morning Report and Tech Report, who is in Los Angeles.

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