The center, with a total floor space of 130,000 square meters, will mainly serve as an office building for the over 100 foreign media organizations in Beijing, the Beijing Morning Post reported on Thursday.

The media center, to be completed within 32 months, will be equipped with state-of-the-art satellite communication and fiber optical devices to ensure fast transmission of data, texts and pictures.

The building will be erected in Xuanwumen street, south of the bustling commercial area of Xidan, and facing Xinhua News Agency across the street, said sources from the Beijing Junhua Real Estate Co., a prime contractor for the project.

The company is also planning the second phase of construction, including 300,000 square meters of apartments for journalists.

The construction is expected to speed up the renovation of ramshackle houses in the area.

(China Daily August 8, 2002)