Three more foreign news agencies have been authorized to release financial information or photos in China, the Foreign Information Administration Center (FIAC) of Xinhua News Agency said on Tuesday.

The three agencies are RIA Novosti of Russia, Sipa Press of France and Gamma of Eyedea, also a French company, a spokesman of the FIAC said.

"They have entered into agency agreements with the China Economic Information Service (CEIS), an agent designated by Xinhua, to release financial information or news photos as well as to develop subscribers in China," he said.

Xinhua News Agency was empowered by the government to promulgate the Measures for Administering the Release of News and Information in China by Foreign News Agencies in September last year, in continuation of its old practice authorized by the government in 1996.

Three weeks after Gamma of Eyedea signed an agency agreement, the CEIS had promoted Gamma's photos to more than 1,000 potential subscribers across China, and had reported progress, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, Sipa Press posted revenue growth in the China market in the first half, after it signed an agency agreement with CEIS, he said.

"This demonstrates that companies that abide by the Measures will benefit," he said. "Foreign news agencies will see their legitimate rights protected as long as they strictly comply with Chinese laws and regulations."

Earlier this year, four other overseas news agencies -- Reuters Asia/Pacific Limited, JiJi Press of Japan, ET Net Limited of Hong Kong and NNA China Limited -- were authorized to release news and information after they passed an annual assessment in line with the Measures.

The Measures are aimed at regulating the release of news and information in China by foreign news agencies as well as the subscription of such news and information by domestic users, safeguarding the foreign companies' legitimate rights and interest, and promoting the dissemination of news and information in a sound and orderly manner, said the spokesman.

Foreign news agencies who wish to release news and information in China are subject to approval by Xinhua News Agency, and must have entities designated by Xinhua act as their agents.

(Xinhua News Agency September 26, 2007)