China seeks to contain patriotic outbursts

[Joanne98]

Source: Reuters

BEIJING (Reuters) - China sought on Sunday to contain an outpouring of nationalism triggered by protests along the route of the Olympic torch relay, with state media urging people to channel their patriotism into "rational" expressions.

However, demonstrations against Tibetan independence and Western media coverage of the recent unrest in Tibet continued in a number of cities, the official Xinhua news agency said.

More than 1,000 students and other people in Xi'an, in northwestern Shaanxi province, held banners in front of an outlet of French supermarket chain Carrefour, criticizing anti-Chinese protests during the Paris leg of the Olympic torch relay.

"They chanted 'Support the Olympics', 'Go China' and 'Condemn CNN' through loudspeakers," Xinhua said.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSPEK27822720080420

[Zynx]

1. There was a protest by Chinese students here in Madison exactly like that as well.

[Javaman]

15. I got a feeling that the chinese embassy's around the US got a little

note this past week to "stir" things up.

funny how these "spontaneous" protests didn't happen when the chinese mowed down the protesting monks.

[ckramer]

2. Isn't this predictable?

Every time the like of Nancy Pelosi stirs up the pot, using laughable, silly excuses like "Tibet," or "Darfur," you watch the ultra-nationalism in China soars!



Stupid is the word.

[David__77]

3. The vast majority of Chinese oppose US interference,.

And I agree. This is not the US's issue. I think it's very good too that the Chinese government is encouraging calm among the very angry Chinese people.

[ohio2007]

4. send the torch through Tiananmen-Square and light it

http://www.cryptome.cn/tk/tiananmen-kill.htm





Goddess of Democracy had her flame snuffed out long ago

[Better Believe It]

7. A Tiananmen-Square Protester Campaigns Against China Bashing

Chinese Americans line Sunset Boulevard outside the network's offices to call for the commentator's dismissal.
By David Pierson, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 20, 2008

Throngs of Chinese Americans protested outside CNN's offices in Hollywood on Saturday morning, calling for the dismissal of commentator Jack Cafferty, whose recent remarks about Chinese goods and China inflamed a community already angry about international condemnations directed at the host country of the upcoming Olympic Games.

The protesters lined Sunset Boulevard from Cahuenga Boulevard to Wilcox Avenue chanting "Fire Cafferty" and "CNN liar" and singing the Chinese national anthem and other patriotic songs. They waved Chinese, American and Taiwanese flags and directed their anger at the news channel's dark glass tower. "It's really unacceptable," said John He, an organizer of the event. "It maliciously attacks all Chinese. This would not be accepted if it was directed at any other ethnic group."

The controversy has added fuel to a growing resentment toward the West. Many Chinese feel the West is unfairly ganging up on the country at a time when the world should be celebrating the Olympics. Much of the blame is being directed at Western media, which the Chinese American community has accused of bias for failing to show the violence inflicted on non-Tibetans during the recent unrest in the western Chinese province and of being too critical of China.

Lake Wang, a 39-year-old engineer from Thousand Oaks, was wearing a T-shirt that read, "Do not be jealous of China Jack." The last protest Wang attended was 19 years ago in Beijing -- the Tiananmen Square crackdown. Wang said China has become a vastly different society since then and that the country deserved credit for the changes.


http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-...

[ohio2007]

12. They drank the Kool Aid. I doubt the students have balls like that today

What happened to the real protesters that were thrown in jail ? Exiled to Tibet in the late 80's for retraining ?

[Flagg]

14. "It maliciously attacks all Chinese. This would not be accepted if it was directed at any other

ethinc group".

lol
The French regularly get it worse and it is apparently more than accepted.
Besides, the French don't organize protests place de la Concorde about it.

They protest against their government instead. You should try it sometimes. Oops wait, I forgot, you can't.

[liberal N proud]

5. We didn't see this coming?

Like a freight train.

[FarCenter]

6. The US foreign policy establishment is unable to predict blowback

Time and again they set in motion ploys like this that have unintended consequences.

On the other hand, if we can distract the Chinese in Tibet, so that we can grab the oil, copper and uranium in Darfur, it will likely be worthwhile.

[pegleg]

8. Support Tibet ,support human rights, boycott opening ceremonies

and Olympic commercial sponsors.

[fedsron2us]

11. The Olympics has been a phony, mendacious pile of crap for years

overrun by rampant nationalism, corporate greed and egomaniac drug addled athletes. No doubt this years will plumb new depths of awfulness. Turn it off and take the dog for a walk.

[brentspeak]

9. How about, 'Eat our lead-contaminated products!' or 'Support our repression of Tibet!'...?

[Doctor Cynic]

10. The bureaucrats better be careful.

In 2005 they subtly created anti-Japanese sentiment (I was in China at the time and saw all of it), and there were anti-Japanese demonstrations, with calls to boycott Sony, Toyota, and the like.

The problem came when it was revealed the protesters were organizing the marches by text messages, which indicates that ordinary people have found a fast and cheap way to spread information without the state-run media.

And they can't have that, can they?

[ohio2007]

13. Most of this outrage is actually aimed at France and box store they have set up in China

http://english.people.com.cn/200610/18/eng20061018_313076.html


doing away with competition in China ?
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200301/13/eng20030113_110000.shtml