China Puts Stricter Limits on Distribution of Foreign News

China imposed broad new restrictions on foreign news released in the country – with the state-run China News Agency reviewing all news and photos. The agency vows to censor any content that threatens “national security” or promotes religious or cult activity. The new regulations will also restrict web sites, which have flourished in recent years. Motivation may not be solely political: Western news services agencies like Reuters, AP and Bloomberg successfully thwarted efforts from China News Agency to control the lucrative live news and financial data feeds directly to banks and other financial institutions. Some analysts suggest the controls violate World Trade Organization rules – and many wait to see how or whether China will actually enforce the new regulations. Despite recent arrests of journalists and closures of media offices, China’s government still promises foreign media free access to the 2008 Olympics. – YaleGlobal