China urges 'calm' as anti-Western protests continue

BEIJING - China appeared to be trying to rein in a growing nationalistic fervor, urging its citizens to be "calm" and "rational" in the face of anti-Western protests against French retailer Carrefour that spread Sunday to more cities across the country.

More than 1,000 demonstrators carrying banners gathered for the second day in Xi'an in front of a Carrefour outlet, chanting "Oppose Tibet Independence," "Go China," and "Condemn CNN," the official Xinhua news agency reported.

In Wuhan, another 2,000 people, mostly students, waved the Chinese flag and sang the national anthem for the second day in a row.

Protests also were staged in the cities of Harbin, Dalian, and Jinan. An estimated 1,000 demonstrators blocked traffic in Dalian, while another 1,000 protesters in Harbin held up at a 33-foot-long banner in support of the Olympics, Xinhua said. Hundreds of police were monitoring the demonstrations in the five cities, which remained peaceful.