Carrefour China's Website has been closed for "maintenance" after the boycott call erupted and the posters have already been removed.

Demonstrations took place in front of some Carrefour outlets this week, including in Beijing, Hefei, Kunming and Wuhan.

Carrefour Chairman Jose Luis Duran denied that Carrefour's Singapore branch provided funds to the Dalai Lama in an interview with Xinhua news agency.

"These allegations are groundless. Carrefour and its branches have given no direct or indirect support to any political or religious group," he told Xinhua

He also added that Carrefour would make its utmost efforts to support the Olympics and said an Olympic boycott would be an act with ulterior motives.

"Carrefour stores do not interfere in internal affairs of any foreign country," he told Xinhua.

Despite the current public relations crisis, Carrefour, the world's second-biggest retailer, plans to open about 20 supermarkets in China this year, according to previous reports.

Almost all the employees in Carrefour's mainland outlets are Chinese while 95 percent of its goods are made in China.

(Shanghai Daily April 25, 2008)