FACTBOX-China's tradition of nationalist protest

(Reuters) - China's wave of public anger over Western sympathy for unrest in Tibet has laid bare currents of nationalism that could echo at the Beijing Olympic Games and are set to shape the country's politics and diplomacy.

Here are some facts about China's patriotic upsurge over Tibet and its background.

-- China's modern tradition of patriotic protest traces back to the May 4th Movement of 1919, when students led demonstrations in Beijing against the diplomatic settlement after World War One, which gave Japan control over Chinese areas previously held by Germany.

-- Since the 1980s, China's Communist Party-run government has faced outbursts of nationalist protests that have sometimes accused the government of weakness or lack of principle.

-- In May 1999, Chinese protesters surrounded and stoned the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and attacked U.S. consulate offices elsewhere in the country, after NATO forces bombed China's embassy in Belgrade during the war against Serbia. The United States said the bombing was a mistake, but China did not accept this and said the U.S. did not properly apologise.

-- Japan has often been the focus of Chinese nationalist anger. In March and April 2005, many thousands of Chinese took to the streets in occasionally violent marches and boycott rallies to voice anger at Japan. The protesters said Japan had not shown true contrition for atrocities in China before and during World War Two and objected to Tokyo's bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.

-- China's current wave of public anger and protests has focused on foreign companies, governments and media accused of supporting Tibetan independence or threats to boycott the Beijing Games, ignoring or distorting deadly riots in Lhasa in mid-March and insulting China. The main targets have been Time Warner Inc's news broadcaster CNN and the French supermarket chain Carrefour.

-- Chinese authorities have not directly condemned a boycott campaign against Carrefour, but have praised the company and urged citizens to show their patriotism rationally and focus on preparing for a successful Beijing Olympic Games in August.

(Writing by Chris Buckley; Editing by Jerry Norton)

(Sources: Reuters; Susan L. Shirk, China: Fragile Superpower (Oxford University Press, 2007); Jeffrey Wasserstrom of the University of California, Irvine)

("Countdown to Beijing Olympics" blog at blogs.reuters.com/china)