Protests against "Tibet independence" supporters in some western countries erupted in a few Chinese cities on Saturday.

The protests were seen in Beijing, Hefei of the eastern Anhui Province, Wuhan of the central Hubei Province and Qingdao of the eastern Shandong Province.

Protesters gathered in front of shops of the French supermarket Carrefour in the cities, chanting slogans of "boycott Carrefour", "oppose Tibet independence" and others.

Online and text messages began to call for boycotts of French Carrefour and other foreign retailers to protest western supports to "Tibet independence" secessionists after the disruptions of the Olympic torch relay in Paris and other foreign cities.

French ambassador to China Herve Ladsous told Chinese media on Friday that he felt "regretful" for the disruptions of the Olympic torch relay in Paris, and hoped to meet the Chinese torch bearer Jin Jing, a wheelchair-bound fence-player who was attacked during the relay.

(Xinhua News Agency April 19, 2008)