China said Thursday that newly announced rules for foreign media which drew criticism would not affect their ability to report on the country.
Xinhua news agency, the mouthpiece of China's communist regime, issued regulations Sunday requiring all domestic subscribers of foreign news to get it only from Xinhua, which can censor all news coming into China.
"The Chinese government's policy towards the foreign media has not changed," Liu Binjie, vice minister of the General Administration of Press and Publication, said.
"The Chinese government will guarantee the foreign media's rights and freedom in reporting on China according to law — this is also unchanged," Liu said.
"The announcement of Xinhua news agency's regulation does not affect foreign news agency's reporting activities in China."
Liu stressed that Sunday's announcement was only a reaffirmation of old rules in place since 1996.
"The old regulation was promulgated 10 years ago, now it is just reaffirming that," he told reporters.
"The reporting rights are still with the agencies. It is just going to regulate inappropriate content according to Chinese laws and regulations, other areas are not restricted."
He did not explain why authorities decided to publish the regulations if they were essentially the same as previously.
Media groups and foreign news agencies have expressed opposition to the rules.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, speaking in Britain on Wednesday, said there had been a "misunderstanding" about the rules, while the foreign ministry this week said they were only aimed at protecting intellectual property rights.
The regulation announced Sunday repeals 1996 laws that allowed foreign news agencies like Reuters and Bloomberg to supply clients directly with financial and economic news in what had become a lucrative business.
Reporters questioned Liu over the conflict of interest as Xinhua is both a market player and the administrator of its biggest competitors.
"Xinhua new agency acting as the regulator of China-based foreign news agencies is a long-established practice," Liu said.
"The government will ensure a level playing field, prevent monopoly as much as possible and prevent a competitive situation."
He said the conflict would eventually be resolved as the government would scrap the practice and regulate the foreign media itself at some point.
"As Xinhua is temporarily authorized by the government to regulate this area, it will be taken over by a government agency in the future. When the law and regulations are improved, this issue will be resolved."
Liu did not elaborate on when this might happen.
