CHINA PRESS FREEDOMS DUE TO END!
By Michael Bristow - BBC News, Beijing.
China introduced the new rules ahead of the Olympics. Rules that gave foreign reporters greater freedom during the Beijing Olympics are due to expire.
China has not yet said whether they will be extended, scrapped or replaced by a new set of regulations.
The rules were brought in as part of China's efforts to open up further to the outside world for the Olympics.
Critics claim that while they did give reporters more freedom, journalists were still harassed and intimidated by the authorities.
Despite repeated questions from foreign journalists about the issue, China has not yet said what will happen after the rules expire.
At a regular press briefing on Thursday, foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said new arrangements would be "released shortly".
"We will, as always, welcome foreign journalists to China and continue to facilitate your work and stay," he told reporters.
China introduced the rules in January last year for foreign journalists who wanted to report on Olympic-related issues. They expire on 17 October.
China still maintains a tight grip on what can be reported.
They allowed correspondents to travel around China without first getting permission from the authorities - as they had to do previously.
"To interview organisations or individuals in China, foreign journalists need only to obtain their prior consent," the regulations stated.
In practice foreign reporters did have more freedom to do their work, but were not completely left alone by the authorities.
Certain sensitive areas, such as Tibet, were off limits, and correspondents continued to be detained by the authorities.
Also these regulations did not apply to Chinese journalists, who face a high degree of control and censorship by the Chinese government.
"[The rules] did mark a new and much higher standard in Chinese law for reporting freedom," said Sophie Richardson, of US-based Human Rights Watch.
"But keeping the regulations in effect and extending them to Chinese journalists would be one of the most important legacies of the Games."
BBC NEWS REPORT.
China introduced the new rules ahead of the Olympics. Rules that gave foreign reporters greater freedom during the Beijing Olympics are due to expire.
China has not yet said whether they will be extended, scrapped or replaced by a new set of regulations.
The rules were brought in as part of China's efforts to open up further to the outside world for the Olympics.
Critics claim that while they did give reporters more freedom, journalists were still harassed and intimidated by the authorities.
Despite repeated questions from foreign journalists about the issue, China has not yet said what will happen after the rules expire.
At a regular press briefing on Thursday, foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said new arrangements would be "released shortly".
"We will, as always, welcome foreign journalists to China and continue to facilitate your work and stay," he told reporters.
China introduced the rules in January last year for foreign journalists who wanted to report on Olympic-related issues. They expire on 17 October.
China still maintains a tight grip on what can be reported.
They allowed correspondents to travel around China without first getting permission from the authorities - as they had to do previously.
"To interview organisations or individuals in China, foreign journalists need only to obtain their prior consent," the regulations stated.
In practice foreign reporters did have more freedom to do their work, but were not completely left alone by the authorities.
Certain sensitive areas, such as Tibet, were off limits, and correspondents continued to be detained by the authorities.
Also these regulations did not apply to Chinese journalists, who face a high degree of control and censorship by the Chinese government.
"[The rules] did mark a new and much higher standard in Chinese law for reporting freedom," said Sophie Richardson, of US-based Human Rights Watch.
"But keeping the regulations in effect and extending them to Chinese journalists would be one of the most important legacies of the Games."
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