China to Allow More Freedom For Journalists From Abroad

"But Falun Gong has nothing to do with the games," the policeman says.

"What does that matter?" the reporter replies.

"It's beyond the permit."

"What permit?"

"You're a sports reporter. You should only cover the games."

"But I'm interested in Falun Gong."

"It's beyond the limit of your coverage and illegal. As a foreign reporter in China, you should obey China law and do nothing against your status."

"Oh, I see. May I go now?"

"No. Come with us."

A Beijing policeman said the manual was distributed to him and his colleagues, along with a tape recording of the various dialogues, as practice material to supplement three-month-long formal English courses that have been underway since 2002.

Asked how that fit in with the new rules, Liu said that in the coming month there will be briefings on the changes for Chinese government departments, including the Public Security Ministry and provincial, municipal and county propaganda officials who routinely seek to impede coverage of news in their areas. Beginning Jan. 1, those officials will no longer have the right to detain foreign reporters seeking to interview people, he said, and the Foreign Ministry can be called on to intercede if they try.

"To interview organizations or individuals in China, foreign journalists need only to obtain their prior consent," said the sixth of nine regulations.

As published, the decree changed foreign reporting rules only until Oct. 17, 2008. But Liu suggested at a news conference that the changes might be extended after the Olympics. Conditions for foreign correspondents in China will get "better and better," he said.

Staff writer Amy Shipley in Miami contributed to this report.