China's Clout Makes Censure Tricky ; Still, Tibet Issue Harms Image

Summary

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BEIJING With images of Olympic stadiums amid footage of Tibetan protesters and Chinese riot police, the United States and other governments face the thorny question of how much support to give to the 2008 Summer Games and its powerful host, China.

The Olympic spotlight that China coveted for years has swiveled to cast an unflattering glare on China's image around the world. Moreover, even before the Tibet crisis has faded from the headlines, China is bracing for an ominous prospect: With five months to go before the opening ceremony, what issue will be next? "The question is not whether these problems tarnish China's image around the world, but how much," said Yan Xuetong, director of the Institute of International Studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

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Extract

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China's Clout Makes Censure Tricky ; Still, Tibet Issue Harms Image

Less than a week before the Olympic torch is scheduled to be lit at Olympia, Greece the start of a torch relay that is to run through Tibet French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner caused a stir...

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