CHINESE NATIONALISM
It may be tempting to write off Chinese nationalist attitudes toward Tibet as the results of state propaganda, but as Chinese outrage explodes on the Web and among Chinese abroad, it's clear that this nationalism isn't coming just from the top down, writes Emily Parker in a commentary on our opinion pages. However, Chinese outrage over Tibet could put Beijing in a tough position, she says. Stoking nationalism may have once been a convenient way to shore up faith in the party, but a public spewing rhetoric about the West bullying China has no place in a "One World, One Dream"-themed Olympics. The Games, she says, will provide a window into China's self-image and global ambitions, and Beijing won't want to show the world a face that is contorted with anger.
Read Emily Parker's commentary on our opinion pages:
