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Last update - 10:26 14/02/2008 China 'regrets' Spielberg's boycott of Olympics over Darfur By Reuters Tags: Steven Spielberg, China  China expressed regret on Thursday over the decision by movie director Steven Spielberg to quit as an artistic adviser to the Beijing Olympics because of its policies in war-torn Sunday. The Hollywood director said on Tuesday he was quitting as an artistic adviser to the Beijing Games because China was doing too little to help halt bloodshed in Sudan's Darfur region, where Khartoum-linked militia have battled rebel groups. "We express regret," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a news conference. Advertisement Meanwhile, Chinese state media accused Western countries on Thursday of abusing the Olympic Games to pressure Beijing, saying boycotts by movie director Steven Spielberg and others "disgusted" the Chinese people. Nine Nobel Peace laureates also wrote to Chinese President Hu Jintao urging he change policy towards Sudan, where China has big oil investments. Beijing has often said it is working for peace in Darfur. While China's Foreign Ministry and the Beijing Olympic organizers have so far not commented on this volley of criticism, the Global Times -- a current affairs tabloid run by the Communist Party's People's Daily -- hit back. "Western exploitation of the Olympics to pressure China immediately provoked much disgust among ordinary Chinese people," the paper said. "The vast majority of Chinese people have expressed bafflement and outrage at the Western pressure. In their view, it's absolutely absurd to place the Darfur issue, so many thousands of miles away, on the head of China." Even Chinese citizens who complain about losing homes to Olympics Games building opposed Western pressure, the paper said. Jin Canrong, an international relations expert at the People's University of China in Beijng, told the paper that the renewed criticism over Darfur showed Western powers were exploiting their "media hegemony" to whip up prejudice. "Whoever uses this humanitarian issue to criticize China and put pressure on China gains something of a halo," Jin told the paper. "The West has seized on China's tremendous emphasis on the Olympic Games to criticize China." Some 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been driven from their homes in more than four years of conflict in Sudan's western region of Darfur, according to estimates by international experts. Khartoum puts the death toll at 9,000. The Chinese embassy in Washington, while not directly referring to Spielberg's decision, called on "relevant parties" to respect the facts about the "positive role played by China on the Darfur issue" and shy away from politicizing the Olympics. "As the Darfur issue is neither an internal issue of China, nor is it caused by China, it is completely unreasonable, irresponsible and unfair for certain organizations and individuals to link the two as one," the embassy said. A spokesman for the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games had no immediate reaction to Spielberg's announcement. Bookmark to del.icio.us   What's up, doc? Hamas airs television show featuring 'Jew-eating' Bugs Bunny look-alike. Gaza Trip Livni takes 70 ambassadors on a visit to the Gaza Strip as part of diplomatic campaign.   1.   Steven Spielberg, the political rag doll. 12:04  |  Stephen. 14/02/08   2.   CHINA SHOULD STAND STRONG 12:10  |  indrajaya 14/02/08   3.   indrajaya 12:58  |  leftist 14/02/08   4.   # 3, LEFTIST 13:16  |  indrajaya 14/02/08   5.   Steven Spielberg Is A Mench 13:31  |  Yosemite 14/02/08   6.   Leftist,Indrajaya is right & it is not about the old canard of 13:55  |  lakshmi 14/02/08   7.   # 1 Stephen....Spielberg has to live with 14:04  |  Lynn 14/02/08   8.   China "regrets"... 14:15  |  yramm 14/02/08   9.   How the bloodshed and Jewish terror in Palestine? 14:42  |  Chinese 14/02/08   10.   the filth on this talkback that support genocide in darfur 14:49  |  don 14/02/08   11.   To 9, Chinese 14:56  |  Jozef 14/02/08   12.   What about boycotting the US? 14:58  |  Espart 14/02/08   13.   The trouble makers 15:35  |  AJ 14/02/08   14.   I respect Spielberg`s decision but 15:49  |  Mark B. 14/02/08   15.   # 7. Lynn. So now we have politics again in the Olympics: 15:52  |  Stephen. 14/02/08   16.   Re #8 , China "regrets" ... from yramm 15:55  |  Peter 14/02/08   17.   # 6 lakshmi and Indy...the only thing tainted here 16:52  |  Lynn 14/02/08   18.   jews against china. not enough enemies, eh? 17:20  |  bozhidarevski bob 14/02/08   19.   Boycotts 17:25  |  Candida 14/02/08   20.   80% of Sudan`s military is China sponsored. Absorb... 17:54  |  mea, too 14/02/08

Today Online Nasrallah: Blood of Mughniyah will lead to Israel's elimination Responses: 146 Israeli embassies on high alert following Mughniyah killing Responses: 61 Yossi Melman: It's not whether Hezbollah will respond, but how Responses: 67 Ballistic expert: Israel ignoring option of U.S. anti-rocket system Responses: 78 Shmuel Rosner: Israel has always been involved in U.S. elections Responses: 22 Rosner's Domain The U.S. and Mughniyah / Not just 'who' but also 'where' Most blatant example of Israeli interference in American election How Lantos was different (WTR) Poll: Was killing Mughniyah both justified and wise? Guest: Bush is a friend very wise and courageous More Headlines 18:17 Israel issues warning over likely attempts to abduct Israelis abroad 18:47 Nasrallah: Mughniyah's blood will lead to elimination of Israel 15:33 IDF bombs Gaza buildings used for launching rockets at Israel 16:10 Ballistic expert: Israel ignoring option of U.S. anti-rocket system 15:29 Hamas leader Zahar arrives in Cairo for talks on Gaza border 19:10 French President sparks row over religion, Holocaust studies 16:43 Shas: We won't stay in a gov't that scrimps on Israel's children 11:23 State offers to halve settlers' personal debts to NIS 350M 12:20 IDF experts suggest 'surprise' roadblocks in place of checkpoints 08:58 Bush orders new Syria sanctions over Lebanon, Iraq instabilities 14:18 ADL urges Polish Catholics to decry anti-Semitic Krakow meet 14:03 Condition improves for Sderot boy severely injured by Qassam 15:00 Man, son indicted for killing man who allegedly stole their dog Previous Editions Select Day 13 feb 12 feb 11 feb 10 feb 08 feb 07 feb 06 feb 05 feb 04 feb 03 feb 01 feb 31 jan

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