A British filmmaker has teamed up with China's state broadcaster to create a documentary that explores the conflict between the country's economic aspirations and its environment.

The character-driven, five-part series, China: Between Clouds and Dreams, reveals the nation's stunning natural beauty. It was shot over 15 months using ultra-high-definition 4K cameras after two years of planning.

Director Phil Agland, who has previously shot several documentaries in China, collaborated with China Central Television on the project.

"I had wondered for a while－for the last 20 or 30 years－how to get under the skin of China's dynamic growth, particularly in relation to the environment," Agland said at a private screening in London.

"There have been quite extraordinary changes in China over the last 30 years. And it just happened by chance, about five years ago, CCTV called me and asked: 'Would you consider being a consultant on our new documentary channel?' And I thought long and hard about it."

He flew to Beijing and suggested the series instead. This enabled CCTV filmmakers to learn alongside him, he said.

China: Between Clouds and Dreams will air on CCTV this autumn. An English-language version will be shown on the broadcaster's satellite channel.

The documentary follows several characters, many of them children, as they learn about environmental concerns and navigate a rapidly changing China. The stars are a group of primary school kids known as the "Four Musketeers".

Their teacher sends them on a journalism assignment to find the spoon-billed sandpiper, an endangered bird that migrates from Russia to the fertile mudflats on the coast of Jiangsu province. Here, the young reporters see firsthand the uncomfortable meeting place of the natural world and industrial activity.

"It's the dilemma that we all have in wanting better things for our children and wanting a better environment. It's a very sensitive subject, and it's a very intimate subject," Agland said.

"It was better that I do it as a Chinese director than as a British director."