Beijing: A suggestion that the dragon, an aggressive mythological animal should no longer symbolise China has aroused strong protests from the public, especially netizens, the state media reported today (Dec 12, 2006).

Ninety per cent of the 100,000 people who responded to a survey on a major Chinese Internet portal, said the dragon is a traditional Chinese icon and should continue to represent the country.

The survey was undertaken after a Professor in Shanghai, China's business hub, reportedly suggested changing the dragon as China's image.

"Westerners see the dragon as a symbol of arbitrariness and offensiveness. It may lead people who know little about Chinese culture to have a negative impression of the country," Party secretary with the Shanghai International Studies University, Wu Youfu was quoted by Shanghai media as saying last week.

Though Wu said last week that the report was untrue, it has still stirred heated debate in China, mostly on Internet chat rooms.

Experts say that Chinese conceptions of the dragon are different than Western ones.

"In Western countries, dragons are a combination of several small animals. They mainly represent evil and are usually seen as a symbol of arbitrariness and aggression," director of the China Research Centre on Dragon and Phoenix Culture, Pang Jin said.

"However, dragons in China are supernatural animals that are always good and not aggressive," Pang added.

"The world has diverse cultures. We shouldn't use one standard to judge all others," Pang was quoted as saying by China Daily.