Meanwhile, on the streets of Beijing, the question: why do they hate us so?

The clock is counting down for the August 8 opening of the Olympic Games in the Chinese capital and it is arguably one of the most eagerly anticipated events in recent times for the world8217;s most populous country.

But the mood seems to be turning sour in the run-up to what has been billed as China8217;s coming-out party, with anger replacing excitement as the relay of the Olympic torch around the world is repeatedly disrupted and calls for a boycott of the games are no longer just whispers.

8220;The world can get to know China and Chinese people through the Olympic Games,8221; says Zhang Chen Bin, a 27-year-old mobile phone company executive who came to Tiananmen Square to photograph the clock. 8220;Some years ago, the world thought the Chinese people were very poor, the Chinese economy was very bad. But not anymore.8221;

Ask him about the talk of a boycott and the young man suddenly turns agitated.

8220;No, no, no, it is not good, I don8217;t think so, I don8217;t think so,8221; is all he can say before ending the conversation. It8217;s a thought apparently few Chinese can bear.

For one of the world8217;s fastest growing economies with ambitions of becoming a political and military superpower, the 2008 Summer Olympic Games are supposed to be the perfect opportunity to showcase the progress and might of the Middle Kingdom.

And the countdown is visible elsewhere too.

8220;Beijing 2008, One World, One Dream, We Are Ready8221;, say a sprinkling of banners around the city and promos on TV. Games sponsors are pushing their own commercials while some local channels regularly telecast reruns of events from the Athens Games. In a month or two, the new stadiums are due for completion and the old ones, along with prominent facilities like the railway station, are being renovated.

But four months before the event, a motley bunch of Tibetans, human rights campaigners and a handful of global politicians are trying to blow out the candles even before the party can begin, using the games to pressure China politically in the aftermath of the violent protests in Tibet last month.

As a result, the state-controlled information machinery has gone into an overdrive to sustain domestic perceptions and counter criticism, with an obvious one-sided coverage of the torch8217;s troubles and a fierce show of support for the games. And it seems to be working.

Xiao Fang, a French-speaking tourist guide at the Great Wall of China, echoes a national line when she says the Olympics are all about sport and have nothing to do with politics.

8220;I don8217;t understand why some countries don8217;t want the Olympics happening in Beijing,8221; she said. 8220;It is probably because they don8217;t know China. China is a good country, we have many beautiful cities, mountains and rivers. We are developing very fast, we have everything that Europe has. Don8217;t you think Chinese people are very kind?8221;

Veteran China experts caution that an attempt to prick Beijing8217;s pride at this point in time runs the danger of fuelling its ire and could promote radical nationalism instead of integrating it with the global community. Instead, sustained diplomatic pressure, although slower in producing results, could be the way forward, they say.

Qu Yingpu, the deputy editor-in-chief of the popular English newspaper, China Daily, and a spokesman for the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay, said as much in a column on Tuesday.

The Olympic spirit of peace and unity was 8220;hijacked8221; by protests against the torch relay in London and Paris and 8220;local media hype8221; there worsened the situation, he said.

8220;I am worried the consequences8230;won8217;t be helpful. The question then becomes: Will this sow seeds of hatred? It8217;s easier to hurt than to heal, and it takes far less time.8221;