BEIJING 2008

Japanese official questions 'abnormal' Chinese support at torch relay

Japan's public safety chief says it was "abnormal" that red Chinese flags flooded the streets during the Japanese leg of the Olympic torch relay, saying he had hoped to see more Japanese flags.

Chinese students came out in force in the Japanese city of Nagano along with other destinations such as Canberra and Seoul, outraged that earlier legs of the torch relay had been marred by protests over China's clampdown in Tibet.

Shinya Izumi, head of the National Public Safety Commission, said he realised it was "difficult for the Olympics to steer clear of politics" after he saw footage of chaotic torch runs in London and Paris.

"In relays since then, including the one in Nagano, we somehow saw so many of China's five-star red flags," he wrote in a column on his website as a parliament member.

While saying he understood that Chinese students wanted to cheer on their country, Izumi said: "I can't help saying the scenes we saw were abnormal."

"The atmosphere would have been much warmer if we had been able to see Olympic flags or, in Japan, if 'hinomaru' (red-sun) flags had been among the red flags," he said.

The number of Chinese supporters overwhelmed protesters during the relay on April 26. Four people were injured in clashes between the two sides.

In the Seoul relay the next day, Chinese students were suspected of attacking Korean protesters, leading to a diplomatic dispute between the two countries.

Izumi's remarks came as Chinese President Hu Jintao paid a landmark visit to Japan aimed at easing tensions.

On Friday, Hu met with Japanese parliamentarians supporting the Beijing Games.

"The Beijing Olympics are not only for the Chinese people but also for people in Asia, including Japan, and around the world," Hu told lower house Speaker Yohei Kono, who heads the Japanese lawmakers' group.