Three more foreign news agencies have been authorized to release
financial information or photos in China, the Foreign Information
Administration Center (FIAC) of Xinhua News Agency said on
Tuesday.
The three agencies are RIA Novosti of Russia, Sipa Press of
France and Gamma of Eyedea, also a French company, a spokesman of
the FIAC said.
"They have entered into agency agreements with the China
Economic Information Service (CEIS), an agent designated by Xinhua,
to release financial information or news photos as well as to
develop subscribers in China," he said.
Xinhua News Agency was empowered by the government to promulgate
the Measures for Administering the Release of News and Information
in China by Foreign News Agencies in September last year, in
continuation of its old practice authorized by the government in
1996.
Three weeks after Gamma of Eyedea signed an agency agreement,
the CEIS had promoted Gamma's photos to more than 1,000 potential
subscribers across China, and had reported progress, the spokesman
said.
Meanwhile, Sipa Press posted revenue growth in the China market
in the first half, after it signed an agency agreement with CEIS,
he said.
"This demonstrates that companies that abide by the Measures
will benefit," he said. "Foreign news agencies will see their
legitimate rights protected as long as they strictly comply with
Chinese laws and regulations."
Earlier this year, four other overseas news agencies -- Reuters
Asia/Pacific Limited, JiJi Press of Japan, ET Net Limited of Hong
Kong and NNA China Limited -- were authorized to release news and
information after they passed an annual assessment in line with the
Measures.
The Measures are aimed at regulating the release of news and
information in China by foreign news agencies as well as the
subscription of such news and information by domestic users,
safeguarding the foreign companies' legitimate rights and interest,
and promoting the dissemination of news and information in a sound
and orderly manner, said the spokesman.
Foreign news agencies who wish to release news and information
in China are subject to approval by Xinhua News Agency, and must
have entities designated by Xinhua act as their agents.
(Xinhua News Agency September 26, 2007)