China: Tightening censorship on foreign media

Posted by Anna-Maria Mende on August 4, 2005 at 5:43 PM

On Tuesday China announced that it will tighten restrictions on foreign newspapers, television programs, books and performances. The goal is to strengthen control over China's cultural life. According to the International Herald Tribune the new rules state: "Import of cultural products contrary to regulations will be punished according to the circumstances, and in serious cases the import license will be revoked. In the near future, there will be no more approvals for setting up cultural import agencies."

This puts an end to approvals of foreign satellite broadcasters trying to enter the market. But what does it mean to newspapers? "Foreign magazines and newspapers can be sold only through state-controlled agencies ... Analysts and broadcasters said the rules were part of a wider effort to clamp down on foreign influence over mass culture in China", writes the International Herald Tribune. So it seems that it will be difficult for foreign publishers to enter the growing Chinese market.

Source: International Herald Tribune

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