Today's Olympic torch protests emphasize the tremendous public relations nightmare China faces concerning its human rights abuses in Tibet and its upcoming Olympic games. Consider this article from AFP:

Growing anti-China protests underscore clout of Tibet lobby
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hJpIMA1uBHtL6eOjizDkye0X61Jg

A caption:

"It shows the power of international civil society groups, which China failed to take into account when it bid for the Olympics," said Asian expert Mohan Malik of the Hawaii-based Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies.

In March, barely five months before the start of the summer Games, anti-China protests erupted in Lhasa, countered by a fierce crackdown which earned Beijing international condemnation. The flame relay quickly became a mobile rallying point for anti-Beijing protesters.

"The fact that the Olympic flame was extinguished -- even though by officials for safety reasons -- was a remarkable victory for the protests and a big loss of face for the Chinese leadership," Malik said."