Expressing understanding about patriotism among those calling to boycott French retailer Carrefour, several senior Chinese intellectuals Saturday called on the public to choose a rational way to express their love for the country.

"What happened in France showed that some French did lack true understanding of China, including the Tibet issue," said Prof. Zhou Xing, with the College of Art and Communication of Beijing Normal University.

"But I think what we should do is to improve foreigners' understanding about China. We had better not turn extreme," he said.

Online and text message calls for boycotts of French Carrefour and other foreign retailers has been spreading in China in response to the disruptions of the Olympic torch relay in Paris.

Chinese Internet search engine Baidu turns up about 211,000 entries supporting a boycott of Carrefour by Wednesday.

"Of course, we are angry with disruption of the Olympic torch relay and the activities to split China as well as feel sorry about their irrational behaviors," said Prof. Zhang Shengjun, deputy dean of Institute of Political Science and International Studies of the Beijing Normal University. "We should not be as irrational as them when voicing patriotism."

Being a responsible country, China should develop friendship with other countries, he said. "I think it will be a better way to win understanding and support worldwide by introducing the positive side of the country and people."

When China is ever most connected with the world, it will have to deal with conflicts, said Zhang Xingxing, deputy director of the Institute of Contemporary China Studies. "Whether or not it handles them well affects the country's future development."

"Those disrupting the torch relay in Paris did not stand for the whole French people," he said, suggesting that, as the Olympic host, Chinese first show their friendliness to win those holding bias against the country.

Carrefour China released a statement on Wednesday at its website which pledges that Carrefour has not and will not do anything to hurt Chinese people's feelings.

It insists that the allegations that Carrefour supports illegal political organizations are totally fabricated and lack evidence.

"It is understandable for Chinese to express patriotism and we can choose a rational way to do it," said Prof. Guang Huai with the School of Law of Renmin University of China.

Peaceful protests against "Tibet independence" supporters in some western countries took place in a few Chinese cities including Beijing on Saturday.

(Xinhua News Agency April 20, 2008)