BEIJING — Fresh anti-Western protests flared in several Chinese cities Sunday as people vented anger over pro-Tibet demonstrations along the Olympic torch relay. State media appealed for calm in an apparent attempt to dampen the nationalistic fervor.
Over the weekend, protesters waving Chinese flags have rallied in front of the French Embassy in Beijing and at outlets of French retailer Carrefour in nine cities across the country. They have threatened boycotts of the retailer, which they accuse of supporting the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader — a charge Carrefour denies.
A front-page editorial in the People’s Daily newspaper, the official mouthpiece for the Chinese Communist Party, called for calm, urging people to cherish patriotism “while expressing it in a rational way . . . in an orderly and legal manner.”
The editorial seemed to reflect concern among China’s leaders about a growing anti- Western backlash, fueled by anger over the demonstrations in Paris, London and San Francisco during the Olympic torch relay.
The relay has become a magnet for protests against China’s rule in Tibet and its human- rights record.
Barry Sautman, a political scientist at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said the Chinese government is trying to rein in the demonstrations in order to ensure calm and project an inviting image ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August.
