Since you put it that way. I accept your apology, as sometimes people say things that offend other people but they don't know it. Most Chinese are 'nationalistic' about 5 things that I could think of
1) the Lhasa incident - There were images Tibetan Monks burning, looting, and killing Chinese people and business and the Western Media was sympathetic towards the Tibetans instead. In Addition, the Western nations complain to China about the 'human rights' thing when the Chinese know that they have been treating Tibetans better than 10-20 years ago. They know that it is far from perfect.
2) Dalai Lama's and his Tibetan followers and their quest to 'Free Tibet' because it affects china's Soverignity. To put it to perspective, I'm sure alot of Americans were offended by this Ad from Absolut about SouthWest America belonging to Mexico.
ABSOLUT [Vodka] Runs Ads Celebrating American Southwest Belonging to Mexico « Anything & Everything
3) The whole western government threaten to boycott the olympics. As most Chinese people that this boycott hurts themselves and not the Chinese government. Many people say that China shouldn't get the olympics, but
FT.com - Olympics chief tells west not to hector China as China did open China, but not up to the standards that the West wanted...
4) The Jackassity remarks by Cafferty. Here in the US, whenever someone said someone offended Black people, there is heavy pressure for that guy to quit, especially by politicans. As for Cafferty, he just said he was referring about the Chinese government, but the whole remark offend Chinese people themselves. Worse of all, the politicans and CNN want to distance themselves out from this issue.
5) The Jin Jing incident in Paris. You have to be really low to attack someone in a wheelchair... From what I heard the French newspapers didn't really disclose this incident.
If only one of the events above happened, most Chinese probably wouldn't care, but these 5 events came around at the same time would anger alot of Chinese people, especially alot of expats living abroad reading this stuff. The Western Media doesn't seem to care what they say anyways. Why else would they protest, even holding the communist flag that they do not care about until recently.
I thought the response by these 'nationalists' was justified in some parts but not by others. Protesting about the Western Media, 'protecting the torch', CNN, 'free tibet,' Dalai Lama seems to be just. However, there are other things that is done by the China 'Nationalists' which is probably not just:
1) Carrefour - Me and alot of other people didn't think it was right because carrefour wasn't directly helping the Dalai Lama, as one of the shareholders are doing it. I think they are more angry about the French government naming the Dalai Lama and Hu Jia as honorary citizens and the Jin Jing incident... Despite the amount of people who showed up for the protests there were alot of people, including the media asked to quell down this revolt.
2) There was a Chinese student in Duke U, Grace Wang, who was pro-tibet and received death threats among other sad things. She may be brainwashed, but she doesn't deserve that kind of treatment.
3) There was also anonymous death threat to a Cornell U professor Kathryn March who was going to show a film Tibet not part of China.
4) Lastly, I thought the torch relay in South Korea got really ugly, which is probably why incident was censored in China.
Lastly I thought George W Bush's response to this whole crisis was the best response, as he plans to go to the opening ceremony despite critics from our government. He said, China's 'human rights' record should be talked before, during and after the olympics, and should not being used as a 'carrot on a stick' to make China comply. Thoughout the 7 years him as a president, this is the only smart thing he said.