I see, Lord Macartney was sent packing to Britain in the bygone era for not kow towing to the emperor of China then. Now the grand daughter is coming back to get even!! So bizarre. Hey Jane, I live in Hong Kong & I am not one of those people that's being manipulated by the Chinese government. I always wonder if you guys - so-called reporters from the UK & the States e.g. CNN (which stands for Complete Nonsense News) are reporting factually or just have some hidden agenda. I just don't agree with your opiniated reporting. Stay neutral & let us, the reader to come to the conclusion. Once you take sides, you lose you credibility. Finally, don't be "too CNN". We know what they are like, don't we? Lastly, look at the big picture. After the Olympics is over, would you guys still report the Tibetan cause so passionately? You've got work to do, don't you?

Tom Cheung, Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Tibet is a part of China hunders years ago. The crisis in Tibet is actrually ploted by some western countries. We, chinese people including our Tibetan brothers are getting hurt. The only one who doesn't get hurt is US, who started it actrually.

Please come to china to see the truth.

liukang, GuiYang, China

Sloppy?? That's how you'd say about the pictures? How sloppy the editors could be to have posted photos of Nepal police cracking down on civilians in news that recorded Lhasa violence? I used to believe in the thorough righteousness of western media. It turns out how fool I was.

Amy, Beijing,

Keith,

If USA didn't invade anyone, how can it be so much larger than it was at the time of Abraham Lincoln, and even larger than at the time of George Washington?

Xinchun Hong, Sunnyvale, California

Ridiculous! Ridiculous! Because of the fact the a diplomatic family were murdured, so the Brits and French were authorized to burn the Yuan Ming Yuan, the summer palace of the Qing dynasty emperors? What kind of logic is this???????????!!!!!!!!!! Answer me, Jane Macartney!!!

Nick, Columbus, OH

Why always do you western people try to split Chinese? Manchus, Tibetans, Mongolians, Hans and all other ethnic groups (56 ethnic groups altogether) who live in China are Chinese. Even the biggest ethnic group, Han, is also a group which developed from many ancient ethnic groups. Learn some history and then talk. Additionally, the destruction by the Chinese is one thing, the destruction by the intruders is another thing. Do you think if an intruder of your home who caused less loss than yourself is forgiveable?

Sagirat, Beijing,

@Alex, LA, CA, USA

I know what you are getting at but the analogy does not quite work as the equivalent of Buckingham Palace in China is of course the Forbidden City. The Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace - designed by the Jesuits!) was one of several lesser palaces and was in no way the principle palace. The Forbidden City was never touched by Westerners.

Also the destruction of Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace) occurred in 1860, at the end of the Second Opium War (during wartime) and that really was a long, long time ago. Also, China at the time was in the hands of a foreign dynasty (let's not forget) with the Manchus, not the Chinese, in charge and it was their palace that was destroyed. The destruction of the palace was a crime, but it is nothing compared to the destruction of Chinese heritage and architecture under the Chinese communist party!

And of course it wasn't that long ago that US soldiers were wandering around Saddam Hussein's palace in Baghdad with machine guns!

Emma Hilton, Yangshuo, Guangxi, China

"They do not mention that this action was partly in retaliation for the murders of members of an international diplomatic delegation, including a Times correspondent."

How ridiculous this comment is! Would you mind that other country intrudes UK and burns down Buckingham Palace just to retaliate some member of their country being murdered by someone from UK? I guess not.

Alex, LA, CA, USA

@Mike Gow

No, I did not say The Times was inaccessible, I said that links to Tibet news stories were inaccessible. This is not a Tibet news story per se - there is no hard news here on Tibet. I repeat, links to The Times news stories on Tibet (ie unfolding developments on the ground) were out of action for many days. I also repeat that the link to the BBC World Service in Chinese website on http://www.bbc.co.uk/ is inaccessible from where I am in China. If you are in China go to that page and click on the World Service Chinese button at the bottom of the page - it does not open from here in Changsha. It's also worth noting how far down the list China is on the the Reporters without Borders Press Freedom Index (near the bottom).

Emma Hilton, Changsha, Hunan, China

To: Yun Zhang, London, UK

I hope you know how to spell your name in Chinese character.

Bolu, Reading, UK

If you believe the mainstream Western media is too biased, then take a look at Romanian media for balance.

Take a look at what the Chinese government did in Tibet only eighteen months ago when it thought the world wasn't watching - the unprovoked shooting of unarmed religious pilgrims in the Himalayas, an unarmed Tibetan nun shot and killed from hundreds of meters away by Chinese police, the death then lied about in People's Daily and Xinhua as caused by "altitude sickness." One should avail oneself of the truth before blindly defending the indefensible.

Video: http://tinyurl.com/2upsuc

Account: http://tinyurl.com/23auku

Eyewitness: http://tinyurl.com/3c7owh

These cold-blooded killings occurred in the Nangpa Pass on Cho Oyu. Perhaps, in the future, China will be a country which deserves to host the Olympics. But a country whose government countenances, actually approves of, the killing of unarmed minorities within its own territories in this modern age, isn't quite there yet.

Scott, Durham, NC, USA

Dear Jane

How wonderful that you are a descendant of that informous envoy, Lord Macartney!

Comparing the Beijing Olympics to Nazi Germany’s 1936 Games is just plain wrong and I am disappointed with Michael Portillo as I used to have a high opinion of his intellectual rigour and his ability to make sound but nuanced observations.

Also unless its different in Beijing, I think your comment that the Times is usually blocked is wrong and misleading. I open up the timesonline.co.uk, from Shanghai, daily, morning and evening, as it is my home page, and only rarely is an article blocked, not the site. Strangely enough, its not usually articles on China that are blocked but random ones, such as one about Heather Macartney's settlement which was quite frustrating at the time. I am still puzzled why that article was blocked though..

Liz, Shanghai,

To YunZhang, London, UK, How long have you been living abroad? Were you born in the mainland china? I guess you were according to your name in PinYin. You said Chinese ppl's reaction to the riot and the bias of western media is due to the brainwashing propaganda by the Chinese government, so how to explain your action and comment here? Can i say you are completely brainwashed by western media? It seems to you that Western media is more efficient and powerful than the Chinese ones in terms of the function of brainwashing.
I don't know how long you haven't come back to the homeland, and it brings up a question: Zhang, you still know how to speak and read Chinese?!
Hey, it's not something called "the mindless nationalism” but "to respect the truth and the history”. If you didn't go to Tibet to witness what really happened there, how could you say something like that! My suggestion is you'd better go back to the primary school to learn the Chinese history first.

Qiao, Beijing, P.R.China

You said: "the Times website is blocked most of the time, making it hard to find out just how this newspaper has covered the unrest in Tibet."

NOT TRUE. I have been reading the Times on-line, via the university network, everyday since arriving at Beijing three weeks ago.

Kakafuka, London, UK

Thank you, Ms Jane Macartney, for being brave and honest to what is happening now in Tibet , for speaking out on behalf of thousands and thousands of Chinese people who are being suppressed!!!
If we can figure out the difference between CHINESE/CHINA and CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY (CCP), everything becomes clear! CCP should be completely separated from CHINESE people, it cannot present the CHINESE people. All Chinese people are proud of our motherland. However, it does NOT mean we need to agree with everything the CCP does! so we don't have to be ashamed of what they're doing either.
CCP has taken CHINA and CHINESE people as hostage, it is simply using that beautiful land and the kind people live there. CCP made the people there to work hard as slaves, the population doesn't want to be called World Factory.
The Tibetan incident should be seen as a chance to the whole world: simply doing business with the CCP doesn't help its people. More help is needed to protect the basic human rights!!

Liane Ngo, Newcastle, UK

"Tell me, doesn't the widespread use of pictures of Nepalese police actions in German, British, and American media as proof of Chinese military crackdown alarm you and make you feel duped?

Kyle Yin, Denver, CO, US"

No because everywhere I saw these pictures it was clearly stated in the captions that they were shot in Nepal or India (including almost amusingly on one of the 'uncovered western media lies' pictures printed on the China Daily front page).

I also think the vitriolic response of many here has a lot to do with personal feelings.

Dave Williams, Beijing, China

This whole farce on the Western media about the Tibet right, including on Times, only served to discredit Western media among the Chinese. I have lived in the US for 20 years. Some ten years ago, I stopped watching CNN and Fox because I found them no less biased than the Chinese government media. After the Iraq war, I stopped listening to NPR for the same reason. Anyone not brainwashed the Western way would do that. This time, you do not have to live in a Western country for 20 years to see the bias or even hatred. It is right in front of your eye. Way to go, Western media, Jane included!

Fred Wang, LA, USA

Note that the BBC website is only available on mainland China in English and not Chinese. There goes my Chinese practice, guess I'll have to stick with Sina.com....

victoria, China,

When u westerners buy those so called toxic toys , cheap chinese products,have u thought of the plight of those chinese migrant works who get exploited by yr big corporation?. They work 60 to 70 hr sa week for 50cents an hr and some even does not get paid for their work.What about tthe enviromental degradation that killing the chinese pple as a resultDont blame everything on China! On the other hand, those monks who demonstrate against the govenment receiving stipent for praying whole day and do nothing for tibetan ppl. That is the reason y majority of chinese is on the side of the government.If we are brainwashed and nationalist, y there were demonstration against our government in 1989! It doesnot make sense.

vincent chin, OAKLAND , CA

Please define the term "Chinese" in the western press more clearly. When approached with issues related to Taiwan, the term "Chinese", as in "Chinese versus Taiwanese," is used to drum up a Cold War legacy divide, PRC verus ROC citizens, whereas with Tibet, it's used as a rally call for ethnic divide, as in Hans (add in the rest of 55 nationalities) versus Tibetans. To a typical third-grade educated American, it's the same bad old "Chinese." It's the Chinese who sold him the cheap computer, poisoned his babies with lead toys, killed peace loving Tibetans, and bullied democratic Taiwan. Did the "Chinese" do anything else? Wait, did one just take away my union job?

ken, New York, USA/NY

Dave Williams, this has nothing to do personal feeling of insecurity.

In an open society the media's paramount mission is first and foremost to report the facts and pursue the truth. If we don't start our discourse based on facts the possibility of arriving at a common ground is at best an illusion. Tell me, doesn't the widespread use of pictures of Nepalese police actions in German, British, and American media as proof of Chinese military crackdown alarm you and make you feel duped?

As a Chinese national who was a student during the 89 Tian'anmen crackdown, and who has strong belief in democracy and open society ideals, the performance of western media outlets makes me question whether people and media in the west genuinely care about facts and truth, or do they just want to feed on and re-affirm their own deeply ingrained view of the world.

Kyle Yin, Denver, CO, US

Paola,
Yes the Chinese government does not enjoy much credibility in the west.
Sadly, by using factually wrong information in their reporting, the western media outlets have destroyed not only their own credibility to the Chinese audience, but also installed an impression on the Chinese main street the the west in general holds ulterior intentions toward China, therefore helped the Chinese government greatly in their propaganda.
We, all of us in the civilized world, need to re-learn to honor facts and truth, even if it means the unpleasant feeling of questioning oneself, or, feeling insecure.

Kyle Yin, Denver, CO, US

The Dalai Lama, much respected Head of the Tibetan Government in Exile in Dharamsala and winner of a Nobel Peace Prize, we are supposed to believe has recently morphed into a revolutionary thug and instigator of violence - and a few dozen "murderous monks" had to be beaten, arrested, tortured and worse by a well armed and numerous Chinese police and army "in self defense". Talk about Alice in Wonderland!

Paola, Milan, Italy

Why are so many here so depressingly nationalistic? Why does critisising the actions that people you have at best extremely limited control over (your government), especially in a time before you were born, make you feel so insecure?

Dave Williams, Beijing, Chnia

To Keith S, Winnipeg, Canada, who tried to insult US and China at the same time, how have your people and your Canada treated the native Americans and Inuits in your soil in the past?

Jim Milovic, Minneapolis, MN USA

To both sides of the argument...

"One man's terrorist, is another man's freedom fighter"

Whilst the majority of Chinese believe the Tibetan violence is 'terrorism' and justified reciprocal violence by the Chinese military, the majority of westerners believe the Tibetan violence is 'freedom fighters' fighting for freedom, with the Chinese military taking a heavy line in order to repress these calls for freedom.

The western media does report the violence from both sides, just our view of the Tibetan violence is different - in the 'freedom fighter' category.

I am a British citizen and former English-language editor for Xinhua News Agency (新华社) and have lived in China for over 2 years. In light of this, I feel I can claim that I have a good picture of things from both sides.

Craig Morley, Oxford,UK (also Beijing),

As an American professor who writes on Chinese culture I do not normally unload on reporters. However I think it merely accurate to say that nobody, for a hundred years, has attempted to excuse the looting and destruction of the Summer Palace and its artistic treasures. If Hitler had managed to burn the Louvre, that would have been comparable. Second, any textbook will tell you that Tibet has been governed by China in some way even longer than North Ireland has been governed by England; and with many parallels. "North Ireland is very old, very complicated!" you will reply. So is Tibet. Finally-- Don't the English realize that the Irish hardliners (and all others) must be taking notes, in amazement, on how easy it has been to reduce the Olympics to a pulpit for one cause? If Tibet succeeds in doing that to the Beijing Olympics, just imagine the London Olympics.

George , San Francisco , California USA

The attention seeking never ends and neither do the double standards, human rights like freedom of speech is just another weapon the west uses to subjugate other civilizations, insult the prophet of islam its freedom of speech, deny the holocaust and its a war crime what about freedom of speech??

the Scandinavians are still posting their little cartoons thriving on the controversy it generates not really caring about the sentiments they're hurting of millions worldwide.

Be brave china don't buckle down to these sad people!

Eamon, Khi, Pakistan

How can certain western politicians side with merciless and bloody rioters and criminals while opposing the action taken by police in restoring law and order? How can they ignore the death of innocent civilians killed by those looters, killers and arsonists while talking about "human rights"?

Joan, New York,

The Times has not been blocked here in recent memory. I'm in Beijing and I access it every week. I'm sending this message from Beijing, so obviously I'm able to get on your site.

Wen Yiduo, Beijing, China

The Chinese politburo is not as saintly as the Tibetans,
but since it never sent any minority to the gas chamber, there should not be any comparison with Hitler, nor there be any linking it to Sudan's genocide.

They are making an effort to redeem themselves by allowing some foreign access to Tibet after the riots. There is probably not going to be anymore riots since it's almost martial law over there right now, and the monks are in "house arrest" mode, confined to their monasteries.

dk, Tampines, Singapore

When Chinese defend their country with, "We are no worse than the Americans on human rights", it begs the question, "Are you saying the USA sets the human rights standards to which your country aspires?"

What kind of ambition is that?

It is not exactly an overly ambitious goal is it.

Keith S, Winnipeg, Canada

Micheal, if there were any real events to support the Chinese Government's allegations, why did they kick out the foreign journalists?

If the Tibetans really did anything to justify their oppression, why not let the press document it for the world?

By kicking the foreign journalists out of Tibet the Chinese Government sabotaged the impartial collection of any evidence that would support their side of the story.

Do you really accept the Chinese Government account that all journalists from all media organizations, from all the countries in the world got together and conspired to report a single view point?

Nobody ever won a Pulitizer Prize for reporting what everyone else reported also reported.

As for those other 2 links you posted, anyone can post fiction on the internet. To separate fact from fiction we need to know who they really are, the real names behind the postings, and are they a credible person or a credible organization. Are they known impartial observers?

Keith S, Winnipeg, Canada

Ms. Jane Macartney does conclude in her "How I became the most ..." that Chinese just "making the point that they had expected China to get a fairer press in the West and demanding that the reporter write without bias or prejudice. It is a reasonable point." My respect for her courage.

Those who reported bias in favor of Tibetan monks and mobs, and who stubbornly accused Chinese of being "brainwashed" (were they also "brainwashed" by government for their opposing acts in June 1989 in Bejing?) , should feel ashamed, and learn from Ms. Maccartney.

Until they can explain why 22 fatal victims of 3/14 riots in Lhasa are all ethnic Chinese (incl. an ethnic Tibetan burnt to death with 4 Chinese in a clothes shop by Tibetan mobs), no one can trust their moral and their stories.

Info from these (and many) links hopefully may help them get more objective:
http://www.wforum.com/newspool/articles/headline/113692.html
http://members.tripod.com/journeyeast/myth_and_reality.html

Michael, Clarksville, USA

It looks to me as if the Chinese stopped learning about Western history from the day it became communist. They seem to have skipped most of the 20th century. Opium war? Good grief ...

M. R., Stockport,

(They do not mention that this action was partly in retaliation for the murders of members of an international diplomatic delegation, including a Times correspondent.)

It's always easy to find an excuse to start a riot, no matter when and where.

Kong, Guangzhou , China

Mike, Emma said the Telegraph was not accessible in China. You need to read what she said, not make assumptions.

While you are correct that the USA is not in strong a position to criticize China's human rights records, we aren't US citizens, so we aren't hobbled by that.

With the USA, we can protest directly to their public in their free press. This option is not open to us with China.

Nation political figures should boycott their own attendance at the Bejing Olympics.

Ignoring behaviour before 1900, the USA did not:

1. Invade either of its neighbours (Canada or Mexico),

2. Restrict its neighbours following their own religions in their own country.

3. Restrict its neighbours using their own languages in their own country.

4. Did not install its own people as dictators of its neighbouring countries.

Keith S, Winnipeg, Canada

As a Chinese, I have to say that I am getting increasingly worried by the mindless nationalism in China. It's dangerous for China and it could affect the rest of the world.

The Chinese government must bear the main responsibility for this.Their brainwashing propaganda is creating more and more victims. The way they are dealing with Tibet now is shameful.

Yun Zhang, London, UK

To Amanda in D.C. who clained "The officials in that government (and many ordinary, brain-washed Chinese) have a one-dimensional view of the realities and any deviation from their tainted and biased version of facts irks them. Unfortunately for them, they are now living in the age of globalism. The Times should not be intimated by their cacophony."

Have you gone through all the posts here? Not all Chinese here have "one-dimensional view of the realities". In fact, I have been advocating in my post that the Tibetan issue is far complex than simply the "human right" issue. I do not condone mistreatment of any people (Tibetans included) by any government. But I am against the Tibetan independence for the geopolitical and national interest of China -- such considerations are used by US for the time -- Iraq war is just a recent example.

On the contrary, it appears to me many Westerners here hold "one-dimensional" view, and resort to terms like "brainwashed" to dismiss all Chinese views.

Jerry Yang, NYC, NY, USA

Without investigation,I do not believe anything.It is meaningless to discuss whether the British media tells the thuth or not.

However,the certain thing is that there is a trend that the British media places too much emphasis on the unrest in Tibet making people feel situation worse than it really is .

A seemingly worse situation may make both side take more radical action which may make situation really worse.Yes ,the situation is worse ,but it is the fault of Western media which must be responsible for the extra casualty caused by its news.

I think a good media not only make people know what happened around the world,but also make people live a better life.However, British media only makes trouble in Tibet even though it claims that what he does is just telling truth .

eye, Changsha , China

Don't blame each other again. The most important thing is trying to build more communication with Western and Eastern. Be careful , we have totally different way to think. More patient and acceptance is better for us. Once western country is a murderer and robber to China and the country like britsh never officially appologize to its crimal. So it's not impossible for asking Chinese nowadays to accept bias or hostility again.

Thomas, Beijing, China

The brilliant Oliver August was better anyway. I miss his reporting.

John Peters, Swansea,

A sizable percentage of Chinese are fanatically nationalistic. This also applies to immigrants from China.

They subscribe to the old US attitude of "my country right or wrong", and they defend their country to the hilt.

Keith S, Winnipeg, Canada

Thank the west media for trying to destroy the Beijing Olympic games at this moment, you guys made all the Chinese ppl around the world have reunited as a whole as you did in 1999-Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia was bombed by Americans! And I also ought to thank you for another reason, without the Opium War, we Chinese could not witness the glorious moment- The Chinese Government regained HK in 1997. Oh well, I forget to admit that The People's Republic Of China is not strong enough to make the so-called "Great Britain" labels itself "Puppy" as it did in front of President Bush.
Hope you could have a nice sleep and a nice weekend!

Storm, Shanghai,

Hmmm, China bringing up history. Talk about pot and kettles.
well what about the disgusting way the Chinese treated the Mongol people for centuries...
It seems to me bringing up old history is pretty stupid - it has nothing to do with the generation that is alive today in either the UK or China.
Whether Tibet was in the sphere of 'Old' China or not the truth is Communist China invaded Tibet and took it over.
Give people in Tibet a referendum on independence and then see how much they want to stay part of the PRC.
No! Didn't think so. Just like our shower of politicians here (EU referendum) - they might not like the result.

Doc, Newcastle, UK

As a Chinese living in the UK nearly 20 years, I would say I trust British media more than the media controlled by Chinese Communist Party's (CCP).

On 4th June 1989 my cousin, Wang Nan, was shot dead by the Chinese Army soldiers near Tiananmen Square simply because he had a camera in his hand (order from the top said no film & no pictures). CCP controlled media never ever publish reports related to students’ deaths. Instead, they said students killed soldiers.

On one hand, I feel very sorry to Jane Macartney who has been hated by some Chinese people; on the other hand, I am very happy to see this kind of reports which bring the truth out to the whole world. I'd say, “WELL DONE, MS MACARTNEY AND TIMES!”

I also feel very sorry for those Chinese who have been cheated by the CCP's controlled media because they have not realised they have been victims of lies. Even worse, some of them are helping spreading the lies. Hope those victims can read truthful reports one day.

ze xia, london, uk

Just to add to what I have said - The Telegraph is currently inaccessible from where I am in China. And judging from the vitriol from Chinese posters here - none admitting that Beijing's policies in Tibet are shameful, and that is THE news story after all, not the Western media coverage of the issue, let's get this straight - it wouldn't be hard to see China becoming politically extreme (yet again) in the none too distant future.

Emma Hilton, Kaifeng , Henan, China

To CJT, SF, US
Thanks for your profound analysis. You hit the nail on the head. You should replace Jane Macartney since you are able to guide people to understand each other better while she brings misunderstanding or even hate to people of both sides instead of harmony, luck. Once she reposes all her judgment on the instinct of a single-party state, she deviates automatically from the least professionalism. She mixes politics into everything.

jaimetra, Shanghai, China

With 8 people already dead, and dozens in hospital, 100's National Guard troops were deployed around the city approximately 24 hours after the riots started.

By the weekend 54 people were dead and over 2700 injured, 211 seriously. Total damage stood at $1b.

These riots were the result of people turning to violence to make a political point. Fed up with not being heard, they went on a looting and burning spree.

Was the government's response too harsh??

I am, of course, talking of the LA Riots in 1991 after the Rodney King trial returned not-guilty verdicts. The chinese government had no choice but to act the way it did. Neither did the US.

We didn't compare the Atlanta Games to Hitlers.

Mike Gow, Beijing, China

Sorry to disappoint Emma in Kaifeng, but the BBC is now accessible in China. Has been since last week. And if the Times is inaccessible, how are you able to post comments here.

Not very convincing, are you.

Mike Gow, Beijing, China

The Chinese including ethic Tibetans do not hate you or your newspaper.

They hate the looters, killers and arsonists who started the violence and killed at least 18 innocent Han, Hui and Tibetans incluidng five young girls in a clothing store and a Han husband and wife and their baby as well as two workers in a car repair shop.

They hate the plotters behind the riot including Dalai. They also hate the distorion of facts by decribing looters, killers and arsonists as "peaceful" and cutting pictures to suit their hidden agenda, and depicting Chinese police's action of restoring order as "suppression" by using photos of Indian and Nepaliese police.

They also hate the small number of politicians who side with the inhumane rioters and blackmailing the Chinese people by taking the Olympic Games as hostage.

Joan, New York,

Links to Tibet stories in The Times have indeed been inaccessible since the troubles began - normally The Times is accessible, but the censors can just switch that on and off at a click of a button. The International Herald Tribune was inaccessible for several weeks, and I tried to access if from around ten cities (I travel continuously around China) during the disturbances, although it is now accessible (it's all down to the whim of the censors). And when will Chinese people be able to access the marvellous BBC World Service website in Chinese - it's been around for years and years, but the censors have targetted that obsessively. Just to put the record straight here.

Emma Hilton, Kaifeng , Henan, China

Just for a matter of fact, I have been able to visit the Times website in China for many years during my numerous visits to China, and never found it to be blocked in China. Is it just lucky me or the so-called journalist has not been bothered to check her facts?

NZ, Manchester, UK

Gosh. I hope Ms Macartney is not related to Paul or I wouldn't be able to buy his records in Shanghai or Beijing.
WCT, London

Wong Tai Ming, London, England

Finally,the Times admits (however grudginly) that the Chinese people's reaction is not that of an oppressed people yearning for liberation.
Many Chinese have relatives and friends living or travelling in tibet,so they can get first-hand account of what happens;the Times Online (and other western media) is not blocked in China,so Chinese people can view their reporting of what happens in Tibet.
This is,I think, why Chinese people gets disillusioned with the western media,and why they rally united behind the government.

haiming, Beijing, China

I dislike how the West tries to intervene with China's matters. China is a civilisation which stood firmly on her land for more than 4000 years. Her ancient philosophies and ideologies were forced to scrap because of the West. And now the West is trying to stop her people from rising up AND CREATING SOCIAL UNREST by encouraging regions to fight for independence.
I feel furious as a Chinese, even though I am not under the influence of the communist party.
Blame yourselves, not China.

AW, West Sussex, UK

As a Chinese, I have been in Germany 3 years. Watching TV news and Newspaper everyday. But i still believe that: the brainwashing happens to everyone in Germany.
Yesterday, a woman called into the radio program, described because she thought Dalai Lama was a nice people, Dalailama cannot inspire the riot in Tibet. And how the people would be tortured in China Prison, even said their teeth could be pulled out...
please!!! How could a person has such a unblievable fantasy?
I like Germany and I like China, but I do not like this kind of unreasonable prejudice!
Beijing Olympic will not welcome western liars!

Ziyao GAO, Ulm,

Many political motives in today's western civil society are deeply rooted in its economic failures. Such political motives are increasingly mixed with trade issues in today's globalization drive, which is often too easily presented in the political claims by a number of pressure groups for their discontent on trade balances among nations - this is becoming more and more politically oriented. But the unspoken but existing link between their economic discontent and the ambiquity in the economic-turned-political claims by the pressure groups is hidden in subconscience. Times reports add to this subconscience. The western civil economic discontent is becoming too often resorted to political claims, sometimes deviation from the prefession of journalism. This situation risks politicizing of whatever possible major event, being it political or non-political, and fails solution to econmic sources of political outcries. And ultimately damages or unsolves the political cause.

CJT, SF, US

The Chinese Government's invective and outbursts against the press in the West is not surprising. The officials in that government (and many ordinary, brain-washed Chinese) have a one-dimensional view of the realities and any deviation from their tainted and biased version of facts irks them. Unfortunately for them, they are now living in the age of globalism. The Times should not be intimated by their cacophony. The more the Chinese Government is served with a deviant version of events in Tibet the more educated they will become in tolerating and accepting the fact that they are committing cultural genocide in Tibet. I congratulate your reporter, Jane Macartney, for her objective and unbiased reporting of events in China. She is indeed a great journalist, one of the best in the profession.

Ananda, Washington, DC, USA

I'm not surprised. Western barbarians led by White Britain and White America have invaded and humiliated China in the past; "Jane McCorny" and her ilk just continues the legacy of a bullying culture keeping alive the great traditions of the West.

In ENGLAND, referees (local and international) receive DEATH THREATS for unpopular decisions (bad calls) made against their soccer clubs and English national team. This is for a sporting event. This vicious campaign by the Western Media to humiliate China and the Beijing Olympic ought to be denounced in the strongest possible term - NO, not with death threats - leave this for the West in particular the BRITISH.

S K LIN, Hong Kong, CHINA

The Times is blocked most of the time in China?
Silly rubbish!
I am in China and have been reading the Times online everyday. It has never been blocked.
There are no foreign newspapers on the Internet that have been blocked.

The Beijjing Olympics is like the Nazi 1936 Olympics?
More silly rubbish by people who have never lived in China.

GL, GD, CHINA

So called Western "free media" means you can lie and get away with it.

To point out such lies and bias as well as the general naked double standards of the West is always categorised by the West as an attack on "freedoms" and thus whoever is doing such is the epitome of pure evil who does not understand "superior" Western "values" and so must be purged or converted through some form of intervention.

Truth and reality is you don't give a damn for "human rights" or "freedom" you're just interested in promoting and protecting your interests to continue the flow of stolen wealth to benefit yourselves, as done so for the last 500 years.

Brundi, Ho Chi Minh City , Vietnam

"In 1793 a relative of Jane Macartney’s caused such an uproar in China that the entire British Embassy was sent home. Lord George Macartney became the first foreign envoy to meet the Emperor without performing the kow tow, in which subjects must touch the ground with their forehead nine times. He was sent packing"

Continuing Jane's family history, 125 years later another relative of Jane Macartney's owned a big English-style mansion in the English concessions in Shanghai, with a big sign at the gate

"No Dogs or Chinese!"

But of course, as you may have guessed, her relative lost his/her mansion after 1949. It's now a public high school in Shanghai, which brainwashed all the Chinese who are now calling for her head.

Now you understand the complicated emotional complexes that Ms. Jan Macarney's has had with China.

Sigh!

dan lee, LA, CA USA

"If you want the truth as opposed to the Chinese government's one sided version of events and you don't trust foreign journalists, you should press the Chinese govt to give a UN fact finding mission free access to investigate what has really happened over the past few weeks."

I, for one, already knows the truths without needing a UN fact finding mission. Yes, Tibetan monks are "oppressed", but they will never feel "liberated" until Tibet becomes indpendent and Dalai Lama is back to be their "god-king".

But majority of Chinese, not only Han Chinese, do not want to see Tibet's independence, whether we'll have a democratic government in the future or not.

Could you precisely define what "human rights" mean to you?
Whatever the Tibetan monks want may not be good to others, what do you reconcile the differences? War?

What about human rights to those poor Iraqis who have been killed because the West wants to get rid of Sadam and bring democracy to Iraq?

I wish everything is so simple!

Jerry Yang, NYC, NY, USA

"And what's so "one-sided" about Western coverage? The fact is, is that since it occupied Tibet, the Chinese government deliberately set out to destroy any sense of Tibetan identity by flooding the Tibetans with thrice their weight in Han, along with exclusion from government posts and the like. "

Your post is a great illustration of how "one-sided" Western coverage of Tibet issues, and how "brainwashed" you are.

First, tell me what you meant by China "occupied Tibet", by which International Laws?

Can you tell what's the Tibetan population now and what it was in 1951?

Mind you, the governor of Tibet is a Tibetan.

I don't condone past wrong-doings of the communist Chinese government, to Tibetans and to all Chinese people. But they do not mean that the Western media coverage is not "one-sided".

Tell me in which Western media did you ever post an opinion piece by anyone who is pro-Bin Laden?

I have lived in the West long enough to see the biases of both Western and China media!

John Zhang, Mountain View, CA USA

I am glad that China wants the world to recognise its economic achievements. And nobody is saying that any of our countries have a glorious past.

But as many of us in the west have realised, once you have sufficient money to feed, clothe and house your family, other things become more important.

Human rights, for example. Many of us westerners know from first hand accounts that Tibetans in China live in fear and that many have been jailed and tortured simply for practicing their religion, even in recent years. Just by saying that human rights abuses occur in other countries does not make it right.

If you want the truth as opposed to the Chinese government's one sided version of events and you don't trust foreign journalists, you should press the Chinese govt to give a UN fact finding mission free access to investigate what has really happened over the past few weeks.

Karen, Melbourne,

Jane, don't take yourself too seriously, please.

pik, London,

I know that some people are shameless. But after I saw the article from this lady, it still surprises me to what extend people can be.

Maybe this lady wants to be shown as a hero in the western world. But enjoying and mocking the rage of people who are attacked unfairly is definitely not heroine to me.

I think that this lady doesn't care the fact that the credibility of the western Medias have been severely damaged among Chinese, with her help. She and many other reporter have successfully shown Chinese that the "human right" Western world wants to bring to China is the right of Tibetan to kill innocent Chinese people.

Thank you lady, you and other reporters have successfully united Chinese people, which Chinese government is not capable of.

KW, NY,USA,

Congratulations! Frankly, you should take this as a compliment - you've obviously touched a spot where they are as embarassed as they can be, and they deserve to be pricked on it. That's part of media freedom.

And what's so "one-sided" about Western coverage? The fact is, is that since it occupied Tibet, the Chinese government deliberately set out to destroy any sense of Tibetan identity by flooding the Tibetans with thrice their weight in Han, along with exclusion from government posts and the like. If the Chinese take any criticism on the fact that they are a repressive police state in addition to the above, well, it's nothing more than they deserve.

I also ought to mention that criticizing the west IN NO PART changes the cruelty and repressive nature of the Chinese Regime. There's a reason "Tu Quo Quo" is considered a logical fallacy.

Brett, Salt Lake City, USA

This Chinese "communist" Party clap trap about how evil every one else is in the world is just a red herring. The policies in Tibet are a an abject failure and most likely will continue to be so if the same party bosses have anything left of their careers. It really shows how insecure these violent bureaucrats really are. Shame on Chinese communists and all those Ventriloquist dummys that repeat their slogans.

Ronald Renquist, Boston, Ma

Oh yea ,justify the burning down of the summer palace by foreign troops as retaliation. The foreign powers were bleeding China dry at that time, and still wish to humiliate us as shown by your example. The british people are just bitter and angry that they no longer have an empire and are now considered just an island off a continent.. You are representative of how cavalier the british are, and no better than that same times reporter who was part of the british propaganda in china almost a century ago.

David Chen, Cork,

Frankly, I think the Beijing government has done too many favors for the Western press.

Blocking the ludicrously self-righteous one-sided coverage spilling from European and American newspapers only gives the Chinese people the false impression that the people of "the West" today are more informed and wiser than their ancestors were in previous generations. They aren't.

I hope I have the opportunity to hold up pictures of Jean Charles de Menezes, as well as the many thousands of children dead due to British intervention in Iraq, as British athletes march by at the Opening Ceremony, which I *will* be attending.

ZQT, San Francisco, CA,

What a load of codswallop!

I am reading your piffle in Shanghai - completely uncensored.

The local media has been able to demonstrate that the Western media's photo's, captions, and angles are lies, and knowing and deliberate distortions.

It's telling that you mention the Opium Wars, and the holocaust the UK and France inflicted on Chinese culture. Few in the West have a clue about this filthy crime inflicted by yourselves on the Chinese. It's even worse than what you done in Iraq (3rd time round) and Afghanistan (3rd time round).

Evil liars!

Brendan, Shanghai, China

Do you expect the Chinese to take your abusive name-calling, your self-righteous scolding, your pretentious moral grandstanding, and your fictitious value-preaching for ever?

Ye, The Genoside Olympics. London 2012, that is, for British contribution in the Iraq Genoside. Or take your pick for any number of genosides conducted systematically in Asia, Africa, North America during your heyday of the British Empire.

Haav Bline, Chicago, USA

Get over yourself, for God's sake

John, Dublin,