Rights groups still critical of China

CHINA milked the global plaudits for staging a successful Olympics, but rights groups remained critical while Japan expressed hope the event would propel the communist-ruled country towards democracy.

After the Games ended on Sunday with a spectacular closing ceremony, the state-run Chinese press hailed the event as a fitting climax to three decades of phenomenal development and a showcase of modern China.

The response to the Games from Japan, China’s neighbour with which it has a history of uneasy relations, was one of cautious optimism, reflecting views elsewhere around the world.