The Chinese government will take care to ensure there's a fair,
competitive environment between local and foreign news agencies and
prevent a monopoly being created, a senior Chinese official said
Thursday at an Information Office of the State Council news
conference.
Last Sunday Xinhua communicated the Measures for Administering
the Release of News and Information in China by Foreign News
Agencies.
"Relevant departments of the government will carry out
supervision and Xinhua will not become a monopoly," said Liu
Binjie, deputy director of the General Administration of Press and
Publication.
In the course of opening-up and building the market economic
mechanism China required time to improve its overall legal system,
Liu said. Some administrative regulations were necessary to
strengthen management in certain areas. Under such circumstances
the management in accordance with administrative regulations
coexisted with the management in concord with laws, Liu added.
"To this end some government departments and institutions
authorized by government do sometimes work out relevant
administrative regulations," Liu said.
Over many years Xinhua has been administering the release of
news and information of foreign agencies in China and there were no
changes whatsoever in that regard, he said.
"The Chinese government will guarantee the rights and freedom of
journalistic activities of foreign media in China and such a policy
has not been changed," Liu said. Such activities wouldn't be
affected by the Measures announced by Xinhua.
The official quoted Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao as saying foreign journalists should
also abide by Chinese laws. "If the business and reporting of
foreign news agencies in China is affected due to the Measures,
they can lodge complaints with the Chinese government and we'll
solve the problems," said the official.
A Xinhua official on Wednesday reiterated that the Measures were
aimed at regulating the release of news and information in China by
foreign agencies, the subscription to such material by users in
China and to promote the dissemination of news and information in a
sound and orderly manner.
(Xinhua News Agency September 15, 2006)