But in the end, anger should only be the first of many layers beneath these unfortunate incidents. The hosts of the turbulent legs themselves hurt as much as the Chinese communities. London was hurt, and so was Paris - I have long loved both cities and felt a warm connection to them.
Over time, actions, reactions and overreactions will gradually translate into meaningful reflections that will promote effective communication. A good part of the dialogue will be, and has already been in some cities recently, initiated by the Chinese communities worldwide, who have shown both the passion and power to act as a potential medium and lubricant between different cultures.
And as a result of this process, the hegemonic bloc of Western media will eventually fade once and for all, as their credibility is now in question like never before. It already has begun to end, as recent events have shown, in which ordinary Joes became faithful reporters online, and where their actions came to affect developments in the real world, in real-time, on a scale and magnitude never before seen. The new momentum opens new windows to see a more accurate picture.
These and other experiences over the past month have given me much hope, after 20-odd years of media work. There has been much frustration over the failure to help bridge the gaps between China and other parts of the world (as I wrote earlier in this column) amidst deepening misunderstandings and the monopoly of Western media.
As the part of the relay outside Chinese mainland draws to a close, my journey as its spokesman has ended; but another, maybe more enduring, journey has just begun - to communicate more effectively for China and the rest of the world so that we can all live in harmony.
Qu Yingpu, deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily, is spokesman for the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay.
(China Daily May 5, 2008)