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Olympic Torch's China Route Likely To Be Free Of Trouble

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The Associated Press

Published: May 4, 2008

SANYA, China - After a much-protested journey, the Olympic torch reached this southern Chinese seaside resort Saturday night, beginning what organizers and Chinese citizens promised would be a trouble-free national tour.

The protests and last-minute route changes that haunted the torch along its international relay route were expected to be over. Instead, locals talked excitedly about welcoming the Olympic flame.

Actor Jackie Chan and basketball star Yi Jianlian were to be among the 208 people carrying the torch today along palm tree-lined roads looking out over the South China Sea.

Organizers and police said security measures would be taken but would not give details. Criticism of China's human rights record has turned the torch relay into one of the most contentious in recent history. Protests dogged stops in Greece, Paris, London and San Francisco.

The torch's three-month run across mainland China is likely to be less troubled than elsewhere, although disruptions could occur during the relay in Tibet or the western region of Xinjiang.

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