China a friend of Paralympics, says top official

China has put on a wonderful Paralympic Games that has helped transform world opinion about the country, Sir Philip Craven, president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), said yesterday.

And although he did not use the word 'exceptional' to describe the Games - as Olympics chief Jacques Rogge did last month - Sir Philip said there was nothing about the arrangements that he was not happy about.

'Prior to the Games, western journalistic views were focused on how China could and would respond to problems,' said Sir Philip, who was in Hong Kong to watch the equestrian events at the Sha Tin venue.

'But I have found a lot of things that we can take away from China. The capability of the Chinese to learn very quickly and accept advice, their ability to work as a team themselves and then to work with other organisations such as the IPC, the International Equestrian Federation and the organising committee here in Hong Kong.'

He cited the example of one of their worldwide partners who had said four days before the opening of the Games that 'the Beijing Paralympics will be the greatest ever'.

'Something must have been in the air for him to say this sort of atmosphere or spirit was there even before the Games, and it has just continued through,' he said.