Club Information

The Foreign Correspondents Club of China (FCCC) aims to be the vanguard of the vast majority of the foreign journalists based in the Chinese capital and calls on the masses to join in. If you consider yourself a serious China correspondent or a China watcher, you simply can't afford not to be a member. Club membership not only helps you get to know and exchange ideas with the foreign correspondent community in Beijing, it's also a valuable tool for keeping abreast of new developments and trends in China.

What do we do?

The FCCC serves as a vital information-clearing house for members. Via email, the Club conveys a steady stream of news releases, pool reports, and notices on upcoming press events, social activities, staff changes among member agencies, and other matters of interest to working members of the foreign news media.

Just as importantly, in China's unique political environment, the FCCC represents the interests of the foreign news media in Beijing to the Chinese authorities and enjoys working relations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Council, BOCOG, the Beijing municipal government, foreign governments and the IOC on various issues.

The FCCC routinely arranges speaker events that bring in newsworthy, notable and well-informed guests. Speaker events are organized as morning events, formal luncheons, and informal "coffee roundtables" or "meet the author" cocktail gatherings. In recent years, guest speakers have included senior Chinese and foreign officials, foreign ambassadors, Nobel Prize winners, businesspeople, authors, scholars, analysts, artists and activists - from China and abroad.

In addition, the FCCC arranges social mixers in which our members meet diplomats or other groups of interest, to get acquainted in a more casual atmosphere over a drink or two. The FCCC also arranges other social gatherings, including an autumn barbeque to welcome new correspondents and their families, and a year-end gala.

How do we operate?

Each year, at the Annual General Meeting, members discuss issues facing the club and elect a new Board of Directors. The board consists of a President, Vice-President plus eight other board members who divide various responsibilities between themselves. Their tasks include organizing speaker events, coordinating pool coverage, filing monthly newsletters, recruiting members, arranging social activities and advocating on professional issues. All activities are posted on the FCCC website's calendar, and are delivered to members by email.

The board meets at least once a month, with work done on a volunteer basis. All FCCC members who want to contribute their time and energy to better club activities are welcome to join the effort.

Membership:

Our membership count stands at more than 300, with at least 250 being correspondents who report for some of the world's most prominent print and broadcast media organizations. Members come from the US, UK, Canada, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, the Middle East, Kazakhstan, Russia, Italy, Spain and other countries. We especially encourage correspondents from Asian countries to be part of the club. Our modest associate members' circle includes diplomats, United Nations officers, scholars, and members of foreign consultancy and public relations firms.

Annual fees are 1000 RMB for correspondent membership; 1,500 RMB for associate membership; and RMB 750 for media associate membership. Only foreign correspondents who are accredited and/or working full-time for bona fide news organizations headquartered outside of China are eligible for correspondent membership. Large news bureaus with seven or more correspondents are entitled to a discounted corporate rate. Dues go to cover office and administrative expenses, and help cover costs of some FCCC events.

Non-members are welcome to join most of our events, assuming there is room, but they are charged a higher rate at the door.

Articles of Association of the FCCC