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)