Based on the protests in Western countries that have accompanied the Long Olympic Torch March, the Chinese are worried that foreign protesters with a laundry list of complaints about Chinese domestic and foreign actions will embarrass China right at home. More reasons to protest seem to pop up.
I think the source of embarrasment is more likely to come from Chinese citizens expressing anger at Westerners over the climbing list of of subjects that could be targets of protest.
And why are China's citizens more of a problem? I wrote here:
Resentment over the protests is already boiling over in China. It will get worse during the Olympics, and 18,000 journalists will be there reporting and another half million foreigners with digital cameras will be on hand, too. Even if the Chinese manage to stifle any new protests by Westerners inside China against any number of causes that are inspiring protests, there are bound to be many Chinese already hopped up on xenophobia and resentment to start a good mob to rampage against the foreign devils.
China may have the awful choice of seeing Westerners abused and beaten by outraged nationalistic Chinese and broadcast worldwide; or using Chinese security forces to suppress Chinese nationalists who are reacting to the very emotions that China has stoked to maintain control.
This article seems to agree:
Beijing has long encouraged nationalism. Over the last decade, the government has introduced new school textbooks that focus on past victimization of China by outside powers. The state media, such as the People's Daily, which hosts one of the most strongly nationalist Web forums, also highlight China's perceived mistreatment at the hands of the United States and other powers. ...
Now, though, according to Chinese officials, it appears that the Chinese government actually wants to tamp down nationalism. Some officials privately worry that nationalist protests, even ones targeting other countries, ultimately will transform into unrest against Beijing, like previous outbursts of patriotism in China before communist rule in 1949, which eventually turned into nationwide convulsions.
China wants a coming out party. Lord knows what might come out. And if the Chinese government finds themselves riding the tiger of Chinese xenophobic nationalism, the aging communists in Peking might find a risky invasion of Taiwan the least risky thing they can do to remain in power in the face of that nationalism that seems to be getting beyond their power to control.
