Xinhua News Agency yesterday set out new measures regulating the release of news and information in China by foreign news agencies.

Subscription rules to such news and information by users in China were also laid out to promote the dissemination of news and information in a "sound and orderly" manner.

Xinhua formulated the Measures for Administering the Release of News and Information in China by Foreign News Agencies in accordance with national laws, administrative regulations and relevant regulations of the State Council.

With 22 articles, the measures went into effect yesterday.

Xinhua News Agency, China's State news agency, is the legally authorized institution trying to exercise a unified administration on the release of news and information in China by foreign news agencies.

Foreign news agencies will need approval from Xinhua to release news and information in China, and entities designated by Xinhua News Agency will act as their agents dealing with subscribers.

According to the Decision of the State Council on the Establishment of Administrative Licences for Items Subject to Administrative Examination and Approval That Need to Be Retained, foreign news agencies cannot directly solicit subscription of their news and information services in China.

The rules state that news and information released in China by foreign news agencies shall not contain anything that serves to:

violate the basic principles enshrined in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China;

undermine China's national unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity;

endanger China's national security, reputation and interests;

violate China's religious policies or preach evil cults or superstition;

incite hatred and discrimination among ethnic groups, undermine their unity, infringe upon their customs and habits, or hurt their feelings;

spread false information, disrupt China's economic and social order, or undermine China's social stability;

propagate obscenity and violence, or aid crimes;

humiliate or slander another person, or infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of another person;

undermine social ethics or the fine cultural traditions of the Chinese nation;

include other content banned by Chinese laws and administrative regulations.

The measures say Xinhua has the right to select news released by foreign news agencies in China and delete any materials mentioned in the items above.

"To subscribe to news and information services of foreign news agencies, a user in China shall sign a subscription agreement with a designated entity and shall not, by any means, directly subscribe to, translate, edit or publish the news and information released by a foreign news agency," according to the Measures.

In using news and information from a foreign news agency, the user in China shall clearly indicate the sources and shall not transfer them to another party in any form, the measures say.

The measures give detailed regulations on a foreign news agency's legal credentials in its home country or region, the requirements of releasing news and information in China and release application procedures. They also set out rules on the distribution of foreign news and information undertaken by designated entities in China.

The measures lay out penalties for violations in releasing, distributing or using news and information from a foreign news agency in China.

If a foreign news agency violates the measures, for example, Xinhua News Agency can give it a warning, demand rectification within a prescribed time limit, suspend the release of specified content and even suspend or cancel its qualifications to release news and information in China.

Xinhua News Agency shall impose disciplinary penalties on violations by a staff member who, for example, fails to perform his duties of supervision and administration, or abuses his powers.

The measures shall be applied to the release of news and information on the mainland by news agencies in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macao Special Administrative Region and Taiwan.

(China Daily 09/11/2006 page3)