China on Friday issued a set of regulations granting foreign journalists more convenience to report in China in the run-up to and during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman LIu Jianchao told a news conference the regulations will come into force on January 1, 2007 and expire October 17, 2008.
 "After being released, this new regulation should be carried out effectively. All the government departments at all the local levels in China are obliged to conduct relevant law enforcement and perform other relevant duties in accordance with this regulation."
According to the new regulations, overseas journalists will no longer need to apply to provincial foreign affairs offices for permission to report in each province, but need to obtain prior consent of organizations or individuals they want to interview.
Liu cited Article 7 which says "foreign journalists may,
through organizations providing services to foreign nationals, hire Chinese citizens to assist them in their reporting activities".
Liu Jianchao says the regulations have been made according to international practices and in order to provide convenience for journalists to carry out reporting activities in China before and during the 2008 Olympic Games.
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Director: Liu Chi