In defending its policy, the Communist party said Darfur was "not an internal affair of China, nor was it caused by China", and that it was "utterly unreasonable, irresponsible and unfair" to link the two together.

A statement published in the Global Times, run by the party's People's Daily, said the decision by Spielberg and others to boycott the Olympics "disgusted" the Chinese people.

"Western exploitation of the Olympics to pressure China immediately provoked much disgust among ordinary Chinese people," the paper said.

"The vast majority of Chinese people have expressed bafflement and outrage at the Western pressure. In their view, it's absolutely absurd to place the Darfur issue, so many thousands of miles away, on the head of China."

Even Chinese citizens who complain about losing homes to Olympics Games projects opposed Western pressure, the paper added.

The Chinese embassy in Washington called on "relevant parties" to recognise the "positive role played by China on the Darfur issue" and not politicise the Olympics.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/CDB2BF56-A402-4901-A669-F9D1CC693437.htm