BEIJING, June 6 -- The Beijing Paralympic Games will draw the whole nation's attention to the difficulties faced by disabled people in China, said the organizing committee president yesterday.

    Speaking at the official launch of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Marketing Programme, Liu Qi, president of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), said: "A successful Paralympics in Beijing will further promote disabled persons' cause in Beijing as well as throughout China.

    "The Games will urge the whole of society to pay more attention to their cause. It will reinforce the importance of building accessible installations for the disabled and thus enhance efforts to construct a harmonious society in China.

    "The launch of the marketing programme is significant as it symbolizes the opening of the doors of the Beijing Paralympic Games marketing programme to the world."

    Introduced by Yuan Bin, director of the BOCOG Marketing Department, the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Marketing Programme consists of a sponsorship programme and a licensing programme.

    The sponsorship programme is divided into three tiers the Paralympic Partner, the Paralympic Sponsor and the Paralympic Supplier. Beijing Paralympic sponsorship sales will be agreed by July 2008, two months before the Games begin.

    "Since the 2008 Beijing Olympic Marketing Plan was launched in September 2003 all Beijing Games partners and sponsors have also agreed to sponsor the Beijing Paralympic Games as well," Yuan said.

    She added that companies could still sponsor the Chinese Paralympic Committee or Chinese team by buying the relevant marketing rights.

    Due to the exclusive rights Olympic partners and sponsors have, in principle Paralympic marketing rights of the first and second tiers will only be sold to enterprises involved in Olympic marketing.

    BOCOG is the first Olympic organizing committee that is in charge of holding both the summer Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games.

    With the biggest number of sports in the event's history, the Beijing Paralympic Games will be held from September 6 to 17, 12 days after the 29th Summer Olympic Games.