To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken in discussions with the Chinese Government to ensure freedom for Chinese national and international press during the Beijing 2008 Olympics; what the outcomes of those steps were; and what future actions she plans to take. (121036)

We regularly raise freedom of the media with the Chinese Government. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell) urged the Chinese Government to lift restrictions on foreign correspondents up to and beyond the Beijing Olympics during her visit to China in September 2006. The Chinese Government implemented new regulations on 1 January 2007 which give foreign correspondents freedom to report and travel around China up to 17 October 2008. We urged the Chinese Government to ensure freedom to domestic and international press at the most recent round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 5 February 2007. We will continue to raise this issue with the Chinese Government.