The Chinese government is being criticized for replacing a Chinese girl at the Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing with another Chinese girl who was better looking, and for mixing in CGI fireworks with real fireworks.

Lin Miaoke (left) lip-synched at the opening ceremony over the voice of Yang Peiyi (right), who was considered visually unsuitable to appear herself because of her buck teeth, so only her voice was used. The Chinese rep said:

"The main consideration was the national interest. The child on the screen should be flawless in image, in her internal feelings, and in her expression. In the matter of her voice, Yang Peiyi was flawless, in the unanimous opinion of all the members of the team."

"We have a responsibility to face the audience of the whole country, and to be open with this explanation. We should all understand it like this, it is a question of the national interest. It is a question of the image of our national music, our national culture."

"Especially at the entrance of our national flag, this is an extremely important, an extremely serious matter."

"So we made the choice. I think it is fair to both Lin Miaoke and Yang Peiyi, after all, we have a perfect voice, a perfect image and a perfect show, in our team’s view, all together."

Yang Peiyi is said to have reacted well to the disappointment. Peiyi said:

"I am proud to have been chosen to sing at all."

That is what a report quoted the little girl as saying, but we all know she would rather have been onstage herself.

In China, putting on the best face, is the best way to save face.