BEIJING (AFP) — Rules introduced before the Olympics aimed at giving foreign reporters greater freedoms in China are set to expire Friday, with authorities refusing to say whether they will be extended.
China's communist rulers have indicated that some freedoms will be maintained but have given no details on what the post-Olympic environment will be for the international media.
"China will continue to follow the opening-up policy and to facilitate the work of foreign media and journalists in China," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters on Tuesday.
The Foreign Correspondents' Club of China said it was unaware of what freedoms would be kept or removed after Friday, although it said it noted the comments from the foreign ministry.
"Chinese officials have for some time been making positive statements suggesting that the current media openness for foreign correspondents will not be reversed," club board member Melinda Liu said.
"But I don't want to say any more until I see the official statement."
The rules came into force on January 1 last year as part of communist China's Olympic commitments to give foreign reporters more freedoms but an expiry date was set of October 17 -- two months after the end of the Games.
The new rules were meant to allow foreign reporters freedom to conduct interviews with consenting Chinese parties, rather than having first to seek government permission.
Journalists have also been allowed to report outside the city for which they are accredited, rather than having to get prior authorisation.
While reporters and rights groups have described the eased regulations as a step forward, they have also pointed to many problems for foreign press trying to report in China during the period.
Sensitive areas such as the Himalayan region of Tibet continue to be largely out of bounds for foreign press.
The Foreign Correspondents' Club has recorded more than 335 cases of authorities interfering with reporters, such as detaining journalists and harassing their sources, since January 1 last year.
Press freedom groups have also pointed out that China's domestic media remains strictly under the control of the government.
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