China Lifts Reporting Restrictions for Foreign Media

In response to pressure generated by Human Rights Watch and other organizations in the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government announced that it would permanently loosen important reporting restrictions for foreign media. Now, foreign correspondents no longer need to secure government permission to interview Chinese citizens, and the reporters can travel throughout China more freely than in the past. Human Rights Watch contributed to this outcome by making China's poor record on media freedom a centerpiece of our Olympics human rights campaign. We published extensively on the issue and met with diplomats and corporate Olympic sponsors who had the ear of Chinese government officials. China's decision to ease restrictions on the foreign media marks an important step forward in the battle for freedom of expression. We remain concerned, however, that the new regulations do not extend to Chinese journalists and that the government has still not investigated numerous instances of harassment and detention of journalists. Human Rights Watch plans to build on the momentum of our Olympics campaign to ensure that the new regulations are implemented and extended to Chinese journalists, and we will press China to investigate allegations of abuse against journalists.