17 October 2008

FCCC WELCOMES NEW REGULATIONS FOR FOREIGN MEDIA AND URGES FULL IMPLEMENTATION

Beijing, Oct 17, 2008 -- The Foreign Correspondents' Club of China welcomes the announcement of new reporting regulations that recognize the right of foreign reporters to travel where they wish without prior permission and to interview anyone who is willing. "If properly implemented, we believe this will mark a step forward in the opening of China's media environment," said club president Jonathan Watts. "We urge the government to ensure that police and local officials respect the spirit as well as the letter of the new rules. The easing of controls for foreign journalists should not be achieved at the expense of putting more pressure on local sources."

The FCCC urges China to take further steps including the enactment of legislation protecting news sources, the abolition of rules obliging hotels to report to police when a foreign journalist checks in, and the opening of restricted areas, such as Tibet. We will continue to monitor cases of reporting interference and we remain willing to work with the authorities to improve working conditions for journalists in China.