"We are shocked by and strongly condemn the malicious attacks on the Chinese people by CNN's (analyst Jack) Cafferty," foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters.

"We demand CNN and Cafferty himself take back his vile remarks and apologise to all the Chinese people."

During an April 9 broadcast, Cafferty criticised China for exporting unsafe products, which he called "junk with lead paint" on it, and massive Chinese purchases of US Treasuries.

"I think they're basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they've been for the last 50 years," he said of China.

Jiang called the comments "racist" and a "slander" against China and its people.

Cafferty's comments looked likely to fuel anti-CNN sentiment in China, where Internet blogs have circulated accusations that the network has an anti-Chinese bias in its coverage of recent unrest in Tibet.

Beijing has also accused foreign media of not reporting objectively on the unrest, even while it has barred reporters from accessing areas hit by the violence.

Massive rioting against Chinese rule erupted in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa early last month, subsequently spreading across the Tibetan plateau.

Tibetan exiled leaders say more than 150 people have been killed in an ensuing Chinese crackdown that has drawn protests around the world. China says it has killed no one, and blamed Tibetan "rioters" for the deaths of 20 people.

A web petition on sina.com, one of China's biggest Internet portals, criticising Western media "bias" on Tibet had collected 3.8 million online signatures as of Tuesday, according to the site.

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