Foreign Media Service Guide for Olympics published

The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) released on Wednesday a service guide for foreign media on their coverage of the Olympic Games.

According to Xinhua, the Guide covers topics such as visa application for journalists, customs clearance, travel and interview, employment of Chinese nationals, rental of housing and offices, application for radio frequency operation, acquisition of a temporary driving permit, taxation and insurance.

To reiterate Beijing's stand that foreign journalists will be free to report during the Games, the Guide specifies that members of the foreign media could conduct interviews if the interviewee gives consent and that they would be allowed to report public emergencies.

The sale of newspapers and magazines published by foreign media will be allowed in designated outlets in Beijing and co-host cities.

BOCOG said in a statement that the Service Guide was released to help facilitate the work of foreign media to report on the Olympics. The regulations on reporting activities in China by foreign journalists during the Beijing Olympics and the preparatory period went into effect on January 1, 2007.

China is expecting more than 20,000 international journalists to cover the Beijing Games from 8 to 24 August 2008.