The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China urges the government to build an Olympic legacy by enshrining the pledge of openness in new rules for foreign correspondents.
In keeping with China’s efforts to become a more open society, we urge the government to recognize in the new regulations for foreign correspondents that the free flow of information is crucial to the proper functioning of the globalized world.
To that end, the regulations should also guarantee protection of news sources. During the Olympic period, the FCCC received numerous reports of people being prosecuted, intimidated or otherwise prevented from speaking to foreign reporters*.
Around 100 countries have laws to protect sources**. China is behind most other major economies in not recognizing this international best practice.
“We urge China to join these nations,” said FCCC president, Jonathan Watts. “China cannot meet its promise of being open to the world unless its citizens are allowed to speak freely to foreign reporters.”
The current temporary Olympic regulations marked a step forward in recognizing the right of reporters to travel where they wished without prior permission and to interview anyone who is willing. After they expire on Oct. 17, the FCCC calls on the government to include these two principles in an improved and more thoroughly implemented set of rules.
In an appendix to this statement, we note areas of progress regarding working conditions for foreign reporters and suggest further reforms to lift China’s media environment towards global standards.
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