Nearly 800 Chinese and foreign reporters have applied to cover the upcoming summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) slated for June 15 in Shanghai, the birth place of the regional group.

 

"By Monday, a total of 796 reporters from 27 countries and regions have registered for covering the event," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang said in Shanghai on Monday.

 

These reporters are from 128 news organizations, including 329 from 23 foreign countries, Qin said.

 

Established in Shanghai in 2001, the SCO comprises China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Mongolia, Iran, Pakistan and India were granted SCO observer status in 2004.

 

Heads of state of the six SCO member countries and leaders as well as representatives of the observers will attend the upcoming summit. They are expected to issue a declaration to summarize the SCO's work in the past years and plan its tasks for the future.

 

"What interests me most are the prospect of the organization and what this regional organization will bring to Shanghai, China and the region," said Shao Ling, a reporter with the Shanghai-based Wenhui Daily, who has over the past dozen days written several stories on how Shanghai has prepared itself for the SCO summit.

 

The international press center, located by the Oriental Pearl TV Tower in the booming Pudong New District, opened to reporters who have come to cover the event on Monday. The 2,700-square-meter press center is divided into several sections for press work, recreation, public service and other purposes. Internet, fax, phone, TV and other telecommunication services are available to journalists.

 

The world's leading news agencies, including Xinhua, Associated Press, Reuters, have set up booths in the press center.

 

China's Central Television organized the biggest team of 227 journalists, cameramen, editors and other staff, among all the media registered for the summit.

 

"The fact that such a big number of Chinese and foreign reporters come to cover the summit indicates that the SCO and its summit have drawn increasing attention of international media," Qin said.

 

(Xinhua News Agency June 13, 2006)