ANTI-FRENCH PROTESTS IN CHINA

countries erupted in a few Chinese cities including Beijing on Saturday.

Protesters gathered in front of shops of the French supermarket Carrefour, raising slogans like “boycott Carrefour” and “oppose Tibet independence” and others.

They also handed out leaflets to passengers.

A dozen young persons held a protest march in front of the French Embassy and the Beijing French School, which lasted less than half an hour.

Pan Yuming, an engineer and one of the protesters in Kunming, said they wanted to express their anger at western support for “Tibet independence” and did not want to cause social disturbance. Zhang Junsheng, director of the WTO research institute of the Beijing-based University of International Business and Economics, said the protests were a spontaneous move by Chinese nationals to express their attitude toward “Tibet independence.” However, Mr. Zhang said China’s economic ties with foreign countries were getting closer and the country would not shut its door to the international community