BEIJING, CHINA - MSN China has invited users of its messaging service to put a red love heart followed by 'China' in front of their names to support the Olympic Games, in the latest outburst of nationalism here.

On its front page, the Microsoft-owned website calls on "Chinese people worldwide to use the red heart to express their love for China and to support Beijing's Olympic Games."

The red hearts started to appear on MSN's messenger service on Wednesday and more than two million people had decided to use the heart by that afternoon, the website said.

Nationalist feelings are running high in China partly in reaction to Western media coverage of the Tibetan crisis and to protests which have overshadowed the Olympic torch relay.

Foreign media outlets have been accused of misreporting the Chinese crackdown on Tibetan riots, which began on March 14 after days of peaceful protests. --AFP