In Beijing, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told the International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogges that the Olympic torch is a "shining symbol of peace, friendship and progress," the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the ruling Communist Party reported.
A commentary in the overseas edition of the People's Daily condemned protesters disrupting the relay. "To judge from the utterly crude behaviour of a few trouble-makers, they have nurtured no respect for others or respect for the democratic majority, and lack a basic respect for the law," said the front-page commentary.
The route for the torch relay on May 2 in Hong Kong, its first stop in China, will be cut short "to avoid embarrassing scenes," Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported, quoting an unnamed government source.
San Francisco has a large Chinese-American population and many had waited proudly to see the torch relay. In front of the city's ferry building, Christine Lias, 30, was quickly surrounded by more than 30 Chinese-Americans after she yelled: "Free Tibet now!"
"Liar, liar, shame on you!" many in the group shouted.
On a beautiful spring day, San Francisco deployed hundreds of security officers, including FBI agents backed up by police cars, harbour boats, jet skis and helicopters.
Thousands of pro-China spectators gathered along the original planned route, many flying the five-star Communist Chinese flag alongside U.S. and Olympic flags.
"In 5,000 years of Olympic history the Chinese can finally have one time hosting the Olympics. It means that China is becoming a world power," said Don Zheng, 41, a Chinese-American computer engineer who emigrated in 1988.
DELICATE DIPLOMACY
The torch relays have attracted many groups unhappy about a range of China-related issues, including Tibet, its human rights record and policies on Sudan's Darfur region. Critics say China should use more of its clout with Sudan to ease the bloody conflict in Darfur.
China blames Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and his associates for orchestrating monk-led protests in Tibet last month as part of a campaign for independence. The Dalai Lama denies this.
Hours before the San Francisco relay, President George W. Bush urged China to open a dialogue with the Dalai Lama. Bush and other Western leaders are facing a delicate balancing act as calls mount for them to boycott the Olympics opening ceremony.
