BEIJING, Dec. 1, 2006 (Xinhua) -- In a decree signed by Premier Wen Jiabao, China on Friday issued a set of regulations on reporting activities in China by foreign journalists during the Beijing Olympic Games and the preparatory period. The following are the full text of the regulations:

 

    REGULATIONS ON REPORTING ACTIVITIES IN CHINA BY FOREIGN JOURNALISTS DURING THE BEIJING OLYMPIC GAMES AND THE PREPARATORY PERIOD

 

    Article 1

 

    These Regulations are formulated to facilitate reporting activities carried out in accordance with the laws of the People's Republic of China by foreign journalists in China to advance and promote the Olympic Spirit during the Beijing Olympic Games and the preparatory period.

 

    Article 2

 

    These Regulations apply to reporting activities carried out by foreign journalists covering the Beijing Olympic Games and related matters in China during the Beijing Olympic Games and the preparatory period.

 

    The Beijing Olympic Games mentioned in the Regulations refer to the 29th Olympic Games and the 13th Paralympic Games.

 

    Article 3

 

    Foreign journalists who intend to come to China for reporting should apply for visas at Chinese embassies, consulates or other visa-issuing institutions authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.

 

    Foreign journalists who hold valid Olympic Identity and Accreditation Cards and Paralympic Identity and Accreditation Cards are entitled to multiple entries into the territory of the People's Republic of China with visa exemption by presenting Olympic Identity and Accreditation Cards, together with valid passports or other travel documents.

 

    Article 4

 

    Foreign journalists may bring a reasonable quantity of reporting equipments into China duty free for their own use. The aforementioned equipments should be shipped out of China's territory at the end of their reporting activities.

 

    To bring into China reporting equipment duty free for their own use, foreign journalists should apply for the Equipment Confirmation Letter at Chinese embassies or consulates and present the Equipment Confirmation Letter together with a J-2 visa when going through customs inspection. Foreign journalists who hold Olympic Identity and Accreditation Cards and Paralympic Identity and Accreditation Cards may present the Equipment Confirmation Letter issued by the Organizing Committee of the 29th Olympic Games when going through customs inspection.

 

    Article 5

 

    For reporting needs, foreign journalists may, on a temporary basis, bring in, install and use radio communication equipment after completing the required application and approval procedures.

 

    Article 6

 

    To interview organizations or individuals in China, foreign journalists need only to obtain their prior consent.

 

    Article 7

 

    Foreign journalists may, through organizations providing services to foreign nationals, hire Chinese citizens to assist them in their reporting activities.

 

    Article 8

 

    The media guide for foreign journalists of the Beijing Olympic Games shall be formulated by the Organizing Committee of the 29th Olympic Games in accordance with these Regulations.

 

    Article 9

 

    These Regulations shall come into force as of 1 January 2007 and expire on 17 October 2008.

BEIJING, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday issued a set of regulations granting foreign journalists more freedom to report in China in the run-up to and during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

 

    The regulations will come into force on Jan. 1, 2007, and expire on Oct. 17, 2008.

 

    Under the regulations, foreign journalists who are non-residents in China would not necessarily have to be accompanied or assisted by a Chinese official when they report in China, said Liu Jianchao, director of the Information Department of Chinese Foreign Ministry.

 

    He told a press briefing that there had been several changes, comparing the new regulations with the Regulations on the Supervision of Foreign Journalists and Resident Foreign News Organs issued in 1990.

 

    Under the new regulations, foreign journalists who are non-residents in China will not necessarily have to be accompanied or assisted by a Chinese host institution.

 

    Foreign journalists also no longer need to apply to provincial foreign affairs offices for permission to report in all provinces of China, but need only obtain prior consent of the organizations or individuals they want to interview, Liu said.

 

    Meanwhile, foreign journalists may, through organizations providing services to foreign nationals, hire Chinese citizens to assist them in their reporting activities, according to the regulations.

 

    The new regulations have also simplified the customs procedures for reporting equipment brought by foreign journalists into China by canceling the requirement of an assurance letter provided by a Chinese host institution.

 

    Liu said the 1990 regulations were still valid and if there were any contradictions between the new and the 1990 regulations, the new regulations should be taken as standard.

 

    "The Chinese government always sincerely welcomes foreign journalists to carry out reporting activities in China and is willing to provide as many conveniences as possible for them," Liu said.

 

    Many foreign journalists attending the briefing welcomed the new regulations.

 

    Masood Sattar Khan, correspondent of the Associated Press of Pakistan in Beijing, said they were a positive gesture by the Chinese government in addressing the concerns of foreign journalists in reporting the Olympics and providing convenience.

 

    Liu said the Foreign Ministry would maintain close contacts with related departments on the regulations. He also called for foreign journalists to positively coordinate with relevant departments, and contact his office if difficulties arose.

 

    At present, 606 resident journalists from 319 foreign news organizations of 49 countries work in China. About 3,000 to 5,000 foreign journalists came to China annually in recent years.

 

Tens of thousands of foreign journalists are expected to come to China to cover the Olympic Games and the preparatory period.

Journalists promised wide access in 2008

By Qin Jize(China Daily)

China will improve the reporting environment for foreign journalists as the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games draw closer, according to new regulations released on Friday.

 

Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao assured foreign journalists: "When you interview a person, you only need the consent of the interviewee."

 

The spokesman said foreign journalists will not have to apply to local foreign affairs offices for permission to conduct an interview, and local officials cannot ask "what are you doing here?"

 

However, Liu stressed, foreign journalists are not exempt from procedures necessary for all foreign travellers to western Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Tibet Autonomous Region.

 

The new regulations, which will take effect on January 1, 2007 and expire on October 17, 2008, are applicable to journalists based in China and those coming for temporary reporting missions.

 

Liu did not comment directly on whether China would then shift back to the current management of foreign reporters, adopted in 1990, saying simply that the reporting environment in China would improve.

 

He also said the new rules do not limit foreign journalists to sporting issues even though they are accredited for the Olympic Games. "So we added the phrase 'related matters' which actually expands the scope of foreign journalists for coverage in China into fields including politics, economy and society," he said.

 

In response to reporters' concerns on how the local government will adhere to the rules, Liu said officials at various levels will be well instructed in a bid to implement the regulation in a faithful and comprehensive way.

 

As for reporters from Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, the Foreign Ministry spokesman said relevant authorities are considering drafting a corresponding new set of regulations.

 

Foreign reporters welcomed the news. Jaime FlorCruz, CNN's Beijing bureau chief, said the new rules would greatly facilitate communication between China and the rest of the world.

 

"We can see that the Olympics is changing China and the country is getting more and more open. I hope the spirit of the regulation can be well transmitted to the local authorities," he said.

 

Petra Kolonko, bureau chief of German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine, said she has been in China for five years and has been waiting for such rules for long time.

 

"The biggest change in the new rules is that I am able to go to other places in addition to Beijing to cover the story more freely, and I am really happy about that," she said.

 

Other major changes in the regulation include more scope to bring in and use equipment, and relaxation on the rules about hiring Chinese nationals to work for foreign news organizations.

 

China is expecting tens of thousands more journalists from overseas to come to Beijing for the 2008 Games.