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Beijing to back media freedom during Olympics: Jowell

Posted on: Tuesday, 5 September 2006, 09:40 CDT

By Nick Mulvenney

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing chief organizer Liu Qi will back the freedom of media to report "unimpeded" around China during the 2008 Olympics, Britain's Olympic Minister Tessa Jowell said on Tuesday.

Jowell said she had raised the issue of freedom of access for journalists "in the strongest possible terms" in a meeting in the Chinese capital with Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) President Liu.

"I made clear the expectation of the UK and others that China would comply with international norms of free access and reciprocity," she said.

"I said if China is to maximize the potential benefits of the Games then the freedom of journalists was absolutely fundamental.

"He gave me a clear assurance that BOCOG would support unimpeded movement of accredited and non-accredited journalists to report not just on the Games, but on China.

"He mentioned exceptions, such as military facilities. (I believe) the exceptions should be self-justifiable and in line with international norms."

Under current rules, foreign media in China face travel restrictions while the Foreign Correspondents' Club of China complained this year about continued harassment of reporters.

Around 20,000 media accredited by the IOC to cover the Games will descend on Beijing for the 2008 Olympics with thousands more coming to report from China without access to the venues.

BOCOG have said media will be able to report in the same way they had at previous Games and where Chinese norms differed from international norms, international norms would prevail.

Regulations would be issued and enforced from next year, Liu said last month.

Britain's Minister for Culture, Media and Sport said Liu had placed great importance on the relationship between Beijing and London, which will host the 2012 Olympics.

Jowell had already expressed hopes that the media freedoms would last beyond the Games when she visited the site of the main stadium for the Beijing Games on Monday.

"As China becomes the fastest growing economy in the world, I hope these freedoms will be seen by the Chinese government as an opportunity to be seized as opposed to a threat," she said.

Source: REUTERS

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