China Fights Back

Beijing has started lashing out against its Western critics on the eve of the Olympics. Xinhua, the official state news outlet, called Nancy Pelosi "disgusting" and demanded an apology from CNN's Jack Cafferty for his libel against Chinese products. Some speculate China began its counter-criticism in order to stay ahead of nationlist resentment of the West. The proliferation of anti-Western websites embodies this resentment. Chinese calls for boycotts against foreign goods grow louder. China experienced a similiar surge in nationalism after the 1999 accidental bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, as well as the 2005 wave of anti-Japanese demonstrations.