Hello and welcome to NewsHour. It's coming to you live from the BBC World Service Studios in London.

I'm Tim Franks. We're starting the programme with the most unequivocal statement of Chinese power, Chinese manufacturing power.

Beijing announced today that its trade surplus hit almost one trillion dollars last year,

even adjusting for inflation. Analysts say the world hasn't seen anything like this for decades and

decades, probably not since the US factories ruled the globe in the wake of World War II.

All this is likely to fuel those, Trump, foremost among them, who say that

China's dominance needs to be tamed. One of the fastest-growing international fashion brands is

Chinese. It's Sheehan, a giant in what's called fast fashion. What are the ingredients of its

commercial success? Well, the BBC has found that workers in

Chinese factories making clothes for Xi'in are laboring more than 75 hours a week in contravention

of the country's labour laws. These working hours aren't unusual in the southern city of Guangzhou,

but the BBC's findings will add to a growing list of questions about working conditions

in its factories.

Our China correspondent Laura Bicker spent the day speaking to workers from dusk till dawn in the so-called Sheehan village

to try to find out how the company makes its cut-price clothing.

We're in the beating heart of a global empire.

The machines seldom stop in this factory, producing clothes for the fast fashion giant, Sheehan.

The workers listen to podcasts or cooking shows

as they stitch or steam fabric.

More than a dozen workers told the BBC

they do this for 75 hours a week

in contravention of Chinese labour laws.

...