Is China's social stability cracking at the seams? The recent spate of strikes and tense standoffs between low-income farmers and local authorities may be a sign that the People's Republic is struggling to maintain an image of social harmony. In the southern fishing village of Wukan more than 10,000 residents chased out the remaining officials and police after one of their leaders died in police custody.

Decades of unbridled economic expansion and disregard for legislation have devastated China’s environment. Today, 70% of China’s waterways are polluted - endangering the health of millions. One example is the 1,100-kilometre-long river Huai, in eastern China, where cancer rates are at a record high. But some locals are fighting back, trying to breathe life back into their beloved stream.

This week’s edition of "The Week in Asia" is entirely devoted to the Shanghai World Expo. We take you on a tour of some of the most spectacular pavilions as well as the Bund, the "Wall Street of Asia", before meeting Shanghai seamstresses who perpetuate the ancestral art of embroidery.