Beijing - China is considering extending a relaxation of restrictions on foreign correspondents after next summer's Olympic Games, a Chinese official said Thursday. "If practices show that it will help the international community know more about China, it is a good policy in accordance with the country's reform and opening up," Information Minister Cai Wu said. "Why it is necessary for us to change it?"
The change in the media rules a year ago included easier access for foreign journalists, greater freedom to travel and greater transparency by the government. They are to expire on October 17, but Cai said it was not mandated that the old regulations must then be reapplied.
Previously, foreign correspondents had to receive approval for travel from provincial or municipal authorities and have each interview authorized.
Lobbying from the International Olympic Committee helped lead to greater freedom of movement for foreign journalists but did not change the government's strict censorship of the domestic media.
The results of the new regulations have been mixed, however, because journalists are still detained by local officials.
Forty per cent of 163 members of the Foreign Correspondents Club of China questioned for a poll reported unchanged impediments to their work in the first half of the year, including intimidation of their sources, arrests, surveillance, warnings from officials, and violence against correspondents, assistants and informants.
Forty-three per cent said they saw an improvement.
