To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations the UK Government have made to the Chinese Government regarding transmission to China of the BBC World Service websites and broadcasts. (85036)

The Government are concerned about restrictions on media freedom in China. We regularly raise our concerns with the Chinese Government about China's jamming of BBC World Service broadcasts in Chinese and blocking of the BBC World Service website; most recently our Ambassador in Beijing raised this with the State Council Information Office on 11 July. The then Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Dudley, South (Ian Pearson), raised this issue with the Chinese Government on 7 April. The Government are in regular contact with the BBC over this issue and have expressed their wish to see this issue resolved prior to the Beijing Olympics in 2008.