China Restricts Foreign Press Within China -- Is This New?
The media is abuzz with today's announcement of new rules in China governing domestic distribution of news content by foreign media organizations. The new rules mandate that state-run Xinhua news agency has the sole right to distribute and release foreign news and information in China and foreign news agencies shall not solicit subscription of their news and information services in China. The new rules are effective immediately.
I do not know enough about the old rules to know how significant these new rules really are. Indeed, until today, I always thought these so-called new rules were the old rules, though not always scrupulously followed. I am hoping (and expecting) some of the more media savvy China bloggers (such as Imagethief, Asiapundit, EastSouthWestNorth, China Confidential, China Rises or Danwei) will enlighten us as to the meaning of these new rules.
In the meantime, however, those wanting to know more about this can check out posts here, here, here, and here.
Comments (4)
Read through and enter the discussion by using the form at the endFons Tuinstra - September 10, 2006 10:55 AM
You are right, Dan: there is nothing to report. As far as I can see their rules simply stay the same. China has a tendency of issuing the same rules on a regular basis. That is always easy for journalists who are looking for an easy article to write.
China Law Blog - September 10, 2006 2:06 PM
Mr. Tuinstra (C. Herald) --
Thanks for checking in. That is what I thought. You are so right to point out how China issues essentially the same rules on a regular basis. It actually drives us lawyers nuts. China will issue a law one day and then three weeks later issue a similar law covering the same thing. We lawyers will be discussing the new law and half of us will be talking about the one three weeks ago and half about the one that day. This is why we are always telling our clients that the Chinese companies with which they are doing business do NOT know Chinese law. The good Chinese lawyers will admit they always need to go to check on the law before issuing any sort of opinion. On the flip side, this does make the lawyer's job more interesting.
Joseph Wang - September 10, 2006 10:11 PM
The term "chicken little" comes to mind.
Xinhua doesn't have legal authority to do much of anything, and any rules it issues can (and probably will be) basically be more or less ignored.
China Law Blog - September 10, 2006 10:26 PM
Mr. Wang --
Chicken Little does come to mind, but since I am a bigger fan of the rock band, the Who, then of Children's fairy tales, I have been wishing I titled one of my posts on this issue, "Meet the New Law, Same as the Old Law."