Press conference: Review of China delegation's performance

Lu Shiming answers the question.

Lu Shiming

Thank you very much for your question. The success for completing the Paralympic Games, I think, is leaving us with a common wish that is all people with disability would enjoy participating in sports. Disabled people would be able to participate fully.

The Paralympic Games held under the days of the people of the world and the people of China. I think we have had a completely win-win situation. The goals and significance of the Paralympic Games are people with disability should be able to participate in all aspects of society in a completely equal footing. There should be a great public understanding and compassion for people with disability. The significant of the Games is extremely long lasting. It has touched and moved our society and made it more human.

That is a society of compassion. As we say in the Paralympic expression, the slogan is 'transcendence, equality and integrity', so the Paralympic Games, whether for China or the rest of the worlds. I believe it would have the effect of encouraging and promoting a better social environment of understating for all people with disability. Through the Games, the Chinese society has been affected by the spirit. In the past 20 year, there has been great development of all sorts for the disabled. And in the process we are trying to create a better social environment for all people with disability. This is the great legacy of the Games.

Once again the Paralympic Games has been able to build bridge between people with disability and abled body people. It opened a better path, created a better social environment. With this kind of human caring environment, I think there will be much more harmony and a more tolerant attitude towards people with disability. That is our goal so we would be able to achieve 'One World One Dream. It fulfilled the goal of participation, pleasure, and success. I think that really is the goal of the Paralympic Games. So whether it is from the spectators, volunteers, or the media, everybody, thanks to all of your efforts. We have been able to show all people with disability, whether in the venues, everybody, whether they are Chinese or from other countries that they can smile in their life. Thank you.

Parity Democrat, Westminster

I said one way in which we can benefit from these Paralympics. There is a way in which I would ask you to benefit from London. That is, in London, the bus stops are 300 meters apart, one of the legacies of these Games, the Paralympic Games, not that you have bus stops one kilometer apart, but 300 meters in order to help the young mothers, the elderly, the disabled to travel more readily among the cities in Beijing and China. That is the question.

Wang Hui

Thank you. Excellent suggestion. We hope very much there will be great improvement next time you come to Beijing. And we will also be expressing Beijing's spirit to other cities.

Chinese Reporter

Yesterday, on one of the event press conference, I asked a question of athletes who are abroad. I said we just have the Mid-Autumn Festival. And you competed with Chinese athletes. And one of you won a gold, and the others a silver, a silver and a gold. So they sort of changed awards. You think it is fate? What do you think? He said, 'competition is competition. ' And in certain countries, there is high award reward for gold medalists. I would like to know how do you look about this? The concept of gold medals and total participation. How do you resolve this dilemma?

Feng Jianzhong

If there is competition, there is going to be a gold medal. If there is no gold medal, then probably nobody really wanted to go and watch the Games. So this is a basic rule of competition. If we didn't have a gold competition, this would run against the rules of IPC because legally setup that there must be a gold medal for a competition.

Secondly, athletes display their spirit, their techniques, their performance, and their position of the athletes within the team through efforts and demonstrated by whether they won a medal. But not only that. No matter where, it is all good. Whether you win a medal, in whatever way, it is all good. Whether or not you win a medal, a gold means you are NO. 1. If you are the last, it means you find your ranking. It doesn't mean they should go together, and it doesn't mean participation. It doesn't mean society is excluding the lower-ranked athletes.

Why do so many spectators love to come and watch the Games with people with disability? Because they feel that we should give more attention and more care to people with disability. We should do more for them. So I think this is the participation, this is integration. So the two go together. It is just because people with disability and athletes performed so well, they have attracted so much attention and people to admire them and want to learn from them. If everybody just slops around on the venue, and don't mind whether they are the last and don't do well, that is not the spirit of sports. And they do not win the support of the spectators. So I don't think the gold medal and participation is a dilemma. They can go together.

Vancouver Sun

I think my question will be directed to the president of the National Paralympic Committee. First of all, the 87 gold medals and the 207 total medals is a pretty amazing number. Given that the massive facility was not opened to the athletes until 2007, am wondering what they think the impact of having that facilities over the next four years will mean for China's prospect in London. I'm also wondering for 2010, whether China have similar types of facilities to train winter athletes, particularly in the Alpine and cross-country disciplines?

Wang Xinxian

Thank you for your question. This time, the Chinese team performed extremely well. We have benefited from the reforms over the last decades, the gradual improvement of the culture and civilization in our society. These have provided a very strong foundation for promoting the course for the people with disability. The central government and many different ministries and all social levels have provided a lot of support and for the disabled. This has been key. Our athletes this time, were able to perform in such an outstanding way. Their competitiveness, courage and ability to go beyond their limits, their sporting aggressiveness is the most valuable thing. This is best thing about the Games and I think they displayed this very well. Some of the athletes in the past events and competitions, had little experience of international competition. But they were able to overcome the shortcomings, to perform and compete without any worries. After the Games, we are going to start preparing for the London Games. The Chinese team is not only going to focus on its traditionally strong events but also going to look at the events on the events which China is not so good at. As you mentioned just now, the Winter Olympics, we are weak in this area. Many things are in their initial phases on this are. The next step is to focus on this area. We hope we will progress rapidly. Thank you.

China National Radio

I have visited many schools for the blind and talked to many children. I think this is an area that we didn't know much about. Now this time is over. I think blind people will think that maybe this is something that we can do. But I think in the society there are not that many clubs and venues equip for the people with disability. So I wonder whether in the future you have plans to expanding these sorts of venues and clubs and facilities for the disabled.

Lu Shiming

Through this Games, it is clear that the society is going to pay a lot of attention to sports for the disabled. We are going to promote and encourage people with disability in all kinds of sports. Over the past 20 years, the development of whole area of care and work for the disabled become more active, and provided a lot more conditions and facilities. We have a 5-year plan for the disabled which we draw very 5 years. According to this plan, the government will be providing policies, resources and directions for the disabled. All cities, provinces and regions from the county level, community level and the provincial level, large number of rehabilitation, education, culture and sporting facilities and venues will be established. All of these will open to people with disability so that they can join in sports. In that, we will popularize the scope of sports among the disabled. At the same time, a number of the national policies has been set up which is supported by the ministries which includes free access to all the people with disabilities. So competition coaches will be provided facilities. Funding will be provided for competitive sports. So I think this is going to provide a very good environment for people with disability to provide in all kinds of sporting activities. For the people with sights impairment and limb impairment, we have noted that there has been fast development in the sports for the blind. The events for the blind have very well demonstrated during the Games. This is going to be really good to promote sports for the blind in the future.

We look forward to that in all areas especially the school for the blind, hearing disability and special education schools where people with disability will be able to widely take part in the rehabilitation-based sports event and take part in the sports event happily to help us to improve rehabilitation and quality to promote the sports course for the disabled people. That is why we want to take advantage of the Paralympic Games to further develop the sports course for the disabled people as a result of the overall development for the opportunity for the disabled people.

People.com.cn

In my interview, there is an athlete called Dong Fuli. For wheelchair tennis, he only took part in several matches in the past. That is a restriction for his wide participation. Do you have any plans for the sponsors, support and other means of that?

Zhao Sujing

Let me explain to you about the situation for the entry of 332 athletes to the Paralympic Games. With the support of the society, all the athletes actively took part in the events and sports. They also took part in international events and domestic events. Out of the 332 entry tickets, only team events are allocated by the IPC. Others, they tried their best by accumulating their won points by taking part in different kinds of international competition. Maybe you don't know that. Like the Olympic Games, you have to take part in the international tournament, having some rankings in the international athletes list before you are able to participate in the Paralympic Games. All the individual athletes, they have their entitlement to take part in the event by their own efforts. That also shows the government, country and society, the support for the disabled people. The holding of the 2008 Paralympic Games have promoted the cause of the disabled people and rehabilitation. That also shows the care and support of the people with disability. That shows the deeper understanding of those people. Previously, it's very difficult for us to get the support from the market and the companies. But during the organizing of the Paralympic Games, we got support from the market and non-governmental supporters and sponsors. This trend is going quite well. I'm sure that this Paralympics Games will serve as a process of mobilizing the resources from all parts of the society. After the 2008, I'm sure all walks of life from the society will have more investments and input to the disabled people's sports.

Wang Hui

Thank you for your question. I also want to thank my colleagues for answering the questions. Tonight, the Closing Ceremony of 2008 Paralympic Games will start. That is to say the two Games with splendor will come to an end. All the press conferences at MPC will come to an end. In this press conference hall, we have a lot of interactions with you, our journalists. On behalf of all of us, I would like to express our sincere thanks to all of you. Because of your hard efforts, the events and sports have been attracting a lot of attention and recognition of the world. The citizen of Beijing and the smiles of the volunteers are also recognized and accepted by the people of the world. Thank you very much for that. I hope it will leave you with a very deep impression. I hope you will follow closely the Closing Ceremony tonight. I hope you can tell us very good recommendations and suggestions like the gentlemen from UK. Maybe it will take a long time for the Olympic and Paralympic Games to come back to Beijing. But our door is always open to you. You are welcome back to Beijing. Thank you very much for your support. I would like to thank all the interpreters for their painstaking efforts. Thank you very much.