Harry Potter works magic on Chinese

The fifth instalment of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter made its Chinese debut today - 10 days ahead of schedule in a bid to thwart counterfeiters and because of huge demand, publishers said.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix arrived to great fanfare in Beijing, an actor playing the boy wizard in glasses, black cape and brown moptop, merrily barking out Mandarin to the enthusiastic masses and introducing his latest fantastic tale to the planet’s largest market of young readers.