CHINA / National
Wen: No obstacles to free flow of information
By Qin Jize (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-09-14 06:39
LONDON: The Chinese Government encourages the free flow of information
and respects the rights and freedoms of foreign media operations in
China, visiting Premier Wen Jiabao said yesterday.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair (R) shakes hands with his Chinese
counterpart Wen Jiabao at 10 Downing Street in London September 13, 2006.
China's open policy to foreign media and financial information agencies
remains unchanged and the government will protect their freedom and
rights, Wen said on Wednesday. [Reuters]
Beijing's policy towards foreign media remains unchanged despite the
recent promulgation of new measures concerning international news
agencies, he stressed.
"I think there is a lot of misunderstanding about China's policy on
foreign media and I would like to reiterate that the open policy adopted
by the Chinese Government regarding foreign news media and financial
information agencies remains unchanged," Wen said last night after
meeting British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Information in the areas of commerce, finance and the economy will flow
freely without any obstructions, he said.
For their part, international news agencies must observe Chinese laws and
regulations, he said.
The official Xinhua news agency announced rules on Sunday requiring
foreign media to seek approval to distribute news in China.
The announcement was greeted with immediate misunderstanding and
criticism in some quarters, forcing Wen to make the clarification twice
during his 21-hour working visit to Britain.
Earlier yesterday, he made a similar pledge to about 150 business people:
that the country would continue to adhere to a policy of opening up to
the outside world and protect the legitimate rights and interest of
foreign media in China.
Later in the day, he was warmly welcomed at Downing Street by his British
counterpart as they fulfilled their commitment to an annual Prime
Ministerial Summit made in 2003.
This is Wen's second visit to the UK since he became premier in March
2003 and is part of a wider European trip. The two leaders last met
during Blair's visit to China in September last year.
Ten deals were signed at the prime minister's residence and the Foreign &
Commonwealth Office during Wen's visit, which included the establishment
of a China-UK energy working group, a China-UK climate change group,
technical co-operation in the design of the Kunming's new airport and Air
China's purchase of Trent 1000 engines to power its fleet of 15 Boeing
787 Dreamliners, the last alone worth US$800 million.
Declaring that bilateral ties have never been better, Wen said at the
press conference held by the two leaders that he was confident of the
steady growth of the relationship. He pointed out that trade volume
reached US$24.5 billion last year, well exceeding the target set in 2004
of reaching US$20 billion annually in three years.
Blair said his country is Europe's largest investor in China and sees
China's economic development as a great opportunity rather than a threat.
He said next year would mark the 10th anniversary of the handing over of
Hong Kong and the two countries would work closely to enhance the
already-strong bilateral ties across a whole range of areas.
The heads of the two governments also exchanged views on the Pyongyang
and Teheran nuclear issues and other international matters of common
concern.
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