Chinese mainland issued a set of regulations Wednesday offering
Taiwan journalists more convenience to report on the mainland in
the run-up to and during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
The regulations, issued by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the
State Council, will come into force on Jan. 1, 2007, and expire on
Oct. 17, 2008.
Similar regulations have already been issued for foreign
journalists reporting on the 2008 Olympics.
Under the new regulations, Taiwan journalists who hold valid
Olympic accreditation cards and passes to the mainland are entitled
to multiple entries.
To interview organizations or individuals in China, Taiwan
journalists need only to obtain their prior consent, the
regulations said.
They may, through relevant service organizations, hire mainland
citizens to assist them in their reporting activities, according to
the regulations.
At the press conference, Li also urged Taiwan authorities to
remove a ban that forbids two leading mainland news organizations,
People's Daily and Xinhua News Agency, to send resident
reporters to Taiwan.
(Xinhua News Agency December 27, 2006)