PBS sparks controversy over shelving of documentary on China's poverty relief

Krista Chan, a San Francisco Bay Area resident, often contemplated the striking contrast between the region's affluence and the persistence of homelessness. That led her to seek answers in the documentary Voices From the Frontline: China's War on Poverty, which is now the focal point of a censorship controversy.

"How can we learn from what they did?" Chan asked. "After watching this documentary, I can tell you it took a lot of innovative business models, anti-corruption efforts, planned relocation, (and) incredible sacrifice and hard work on the part of the Chinese people."

Produced in 2019 by United States-based nonprofit corporation Public Broadcasting Service, the film — a collaboration between investment banker and China expert Robert Kuhn and Emmy-winning director Peter Getzels — documented China's methods to lift 800 million people out of extreme poverty over 40 years.