Abstract
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in Tianjin the
government will consider applications of foreign media to post resident
correspondents in more Chinese cities.
Liu said the government had received applications from foreign news
organizations for resident branches or journalists in cities other
than the five currently allowed.
China will be more open to foreign media and welcomes more foreign
journalists to China, Liu told a forum on media cooperation among
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), plus Japan, the
Republic of Korean and China on Tuesday.
"We will study the applications in a comprehensive and a positive
way," said Liu at the forum in Tianjin.
Liu, who is also director-general of the ministry's Information Department,
said, "The conditions for foreign journalists to gather news inside
China have been improving, especially since the start of the year."
He was referring to the Regulations on Reporting Activities in China
by Foreign Journalists during the Beijing Olympic Games and the Preparatory
Period, which took effect on Jan. 1.
The regulations lifted internal travel restrictions on foreign journalists
and allowed them to interview anyone so long as the interviewee gave
permission.
"The regulations were warmly welcomed by the international community
and foreign media, and China's opening to foreign media will continue
after the Beijing Olympic Games," said Liu.
Currently, foreign media organizations are allowed to establish resident
representation in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Shenyang.
The two-day forum stemmed from a proposal put forward by Chinese Premier
Wen Jiabao at the 10th ASEAN plus Three (Japan, ROK and China) Summit
in the Philippines in January. The forum was attended by more than
100 journalism professionals from more than 30 mass media organizations
in ASEAN and Japan, ROK and China.
There has been a sharp increase from 606 resident foreign correspondents
from 315 organization based in 49 countries in China since the year's
start to 705 from 351 media organizations based in 53 countries,
while 2,060 foreign journalists came to China on reporting tours.
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