China is debating whether to relax control of the internet during the Olympics, allowing access to banned websites such as the BBC, a spokesperson for the organising committee said on Tuesday.
Plans to tear down the so-called Great Firewall of China were being debated and a decision was expected soon, said Wang Hui, head of media relations for the organising committee.
“We are studying this now based on suggestions of some journalists and a study of the experiences of other countries, so during the Olympics there may be some changes,” she said. “This is one of the ways the Olympics may promote progress in China.”
China tightly polices cyberspace and Chinese web surfers see a stripped-down version of the internet minus some news sites such as the BBC and those belonging to human rights groups or any other sites judged subversive by the country’s communist rulers.
Wang said that changes were expected to be in place in time for the Olympics for the 20 000 foreign journalists planning to cover the Games.
“I believe you will be able to [access banned sites such as the BBC] but I can’t give you a promise yet. The relevant government departments are still working on it,” she said.
It was unclear whether Chinese citizens would benefit from the plan to reduce internet oversight but wider reporting freedoms introduced for foreign journalists here last year have not been extended to domestic reporters.
From January 1 2007, travel and interview restrictions were lifted on foreign journalists working in China in line with the country’s undertaking to provide free access to the country for the media before and during the Games. – AFP