By Xinhua,
Beijing : China pledged Thursday to provide excellent service to foreign journalists who will be in Beijing to cover the Olympic Games in August.
“China will provide good media service for journalists covering the Olympics,” senior leader Li Changchun said, adding that the journalists can lodge complaints directly to Liu Qi, president of the Olympics organising committee, “if they feel dissatisfied”.
“China will earnestly abide by relevant regulations on foreign journalists’ reporting activities in the country,” Li, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee member, told reporters during an inspection tour at the Beijing International Media Centre (BIMC), which was opened Tuesday and will serve more than 5,000 reporters during the Games.
The Communist Party leader expressed hopes that overseas journalists could make full coverage of the Olympics and “tell the world a true China”.
Li urged the BIMC staff to ensure smooth and safe transmission of signals during the Games, which has been a major concern of overseas journalists.
Voicing his confidence over the security during the games, Li said, “China is fully capable of ensuring a safe Games.”
The BIMC is a newly-decorated hotel that covers an area of 60,000 square metres. It has three working areas, two press conference halls, an exhibition area and a catering area. The hotel has a number of guest rooms that would be open for journalists during the games.
The Main Press Centre (MPC) and International Broadcasting Centre (IBC) of the Olympic Games were also opened Tuesday, kicking off the media service for the event.
China has also introduced news rules, under which foreign journalists no longer have to be accompanied or assisted by a Chinese official when they report in the country.
They also no longer need to apply to provincial foreign affairs offices for permission to report in all of the country’s provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.