China artists pull out of Paris show

BEIJING (Reuters) - Two Chinese artists have pulled out of an exhibition in France, local media reported on Friday, the latest display of anger at the country after protesters in Paris disrupted Beijing's Olympic torch relay.

Wang Guangyi and Lu Hao, two of the biggest names in China's roaring contemporary art scene, said they would not take part in a June exhibition at a Paris gallery because of French attitudes toward the Olympics.

The support of some in France to boycott the August Games "made me feel very annoyed, so we thought that at this particular time attending the exhibition would be unhappy and decided not to go", the Beijing News quoted Wang as saying.

Both artists stressed that their decision was personal, with Wang adding he had great respect for French culture and would not rule out future cooperation there, the report said.

Chinese Internet users have called on consumers to boycott French exports and to stop shopping at French retail giant Carrefour, which they say supports pro-Tibetan groups seeking to disrupt the Games, which open in Beijing on August 8.

The journey of the Olympic torch around the world has been dogged by protests, largely over Chinese rule in Tibet, where a wave of anti-government unrest erupted in March.

In Paris, numerous protests and attempts by activists to snatch the torch prompted Chinese security officials to extinguish the torch several times and put in on a bus.

France has tried to play down calls for a boycott of French goods, saying they were being made by a "very small minority" and Carrefour, which has more than 100 hypermarkets in China, has restated its support for Beijing's hosting of the Olympics.

(Reporting by Lindsay Beck; Editing by Nick Macfie)

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