BEIJING - TO MARK the one-year countdown to the Olympics, Beijing is celebrating today with a grand ceremony. However media and human rights groups, have starkly different ideas about how to mark the date.

Since late last week, foreign rights groups including Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders as well as Free Tibet campaigners have released scathing reports, held press briefings and staged small protests to air criticisms of the Chinese government.

Among other things, they slammed Beijing's failure to honour its pledge of greater media freedom, as well as the country's frequent use of the death penalty and prevalent Internet censorship.

Chinese officials, however, saw things differently.

Mr Liu Jianchao, director-general of the Foreign Ministry's Information Department, said China 'has followed up on its pledge to facilitate the work of foreign journalists in China', and noted that foreign media have greater access now than before.

Under new rules put into effect on Jan 1, mainland-based foreign reporters are now allowed to travel and conduct interviews in China without asking for official permission. The rules, which do not apply to the local press, expire in mid-October next year.

In comments carried by Canton Fair yesterday, Mr Liu said enforcing the new regulations across China was far from easy and urged foreign media to play their part by abiding by Chinese laws.

'We are listening to the foreign media, therefore, at the same time, I hope they also listen to us so that China can be reported in a more balanced and objective way,' he said.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge, who is in Beijing for the countdown ceremony, said it was 'natural for rights groups to use the Beijing Olympic Games to draw attention to reforms'.

But he said the Games can 'only be a catalyst for constructive dialogue'.

Yesterday and on Monday, two foreign rights groups separately staged small demonstrations in Beijing, giving the authorities a mild taste of the kind of pressure they would face during the Games.

Six foreign Free Tibet campaigners were detained yesterday after unfurling a 42 sq m banner reading 'One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 2008' at the Great Wall.

In downtown Beijing on Monday, members of media advocacy group Reporters Without Borders held up posters showing the Olympic rings as handcuffs, and accused the Chinese government of reneging on its promise of press freedom.

Police in Beijing detained reporters who covered the event in town.

A group of prominent Chinese dissidents and vocal academics also weighed in yesterday, releasing an open letter to top leader President Hu Jintao that called on the authorities to better respect civil rights enshrined in the Constitution.

The letter, which was posted online, also called for jailed rights defenders to be freed, and for dissidents abroad to be allowed to return home.

China's media restrictions and patchy human rights record are perennially played up by lobby groups.

Beijing has, over time, managed the criticisms, largely by keeping a tight rein on independent interest groups in China, as well as by using its growing economic clout and skilful diplomacy to deflect accusations.

The Olympics spotlight, however, will be a lightning rod for criticisms, which will only escalate as the opening ceremony on Aug 8 next year draws closer.

This presents an unprecedented public relations challenge that could potentially turn China's biggest coming-out party into a wash-out.