Reporting made easier for foreign media

China's new rules on foreign media will make reporting from the country more convenient, Wang Chen, minister of the State Council Information Office, has said.

The new rules, which replace the temporary ones for more than 30,000 foreign journalists covering the Beijing Olympic Games, say overseas correspondents no longer need the government's permission to travel within China or to interview its citizens.

The rules reflect the country's determination to carry forward its opening-up policy, said Wang, whose office co-wrote the 23-point rules.

"This is a very important move drawn on the experience of providing services and managerial help for foreign journalists during the Olympics. They underline the government's determination to further open up, and reflect the idea of maintaining an orderly opening-up policy and effective management."

Wang's comments came at an event to set up the "Israel Epstein Research Center" at Tsinghua University in Beijing. A Jewish journalist, Epstein became a naturalized Chinese citizen and is best known for his writings on China's revolution and Tibet.

Wang said the rules "answer the question about whether the Olympics' reporting arrangement would be made permanent".

The change in the new rules is that overseas correspondents no longer need to get the Foreign Ministry's permission and register with police to travel in the country is important, Wang said.

Such permission, however, is still needed to report from Tibet and other off-limit areas like military facilities.

The new rules also do away with a resident foreign reporter's need to renew his/her press card every year.

"The government welcomes foreign media and reporters. We hope more reports on the country are published across and broadcast to the world. We will spare no effort to provide help and service to them," Wang said.

"We hope, too, that the foreign journalists abide by Chinese laws and professional ethics and file unbiased and just reports and promote understanding and cooperation between China and the rest of the world," he said

Seymour Topping, a well-known American journalist, sees the lifting of the restrictions as an important step for China.

"The more restrictions on foreign correspondents' work are lifted, the better chance there is for the world to become fully aware of China's accomplishments and what it is attempting to achieve," the former Pulitzer Prize reporter said.

"China used to be too wary of foreign journalists, but now the rules allow them to decide who to talk to," Huang Youyi, editor-in-chief of China International Publishing Group, said.

"More channels for them to travel and report means there will be more stories and opinions," he said.