The government will pay attention to a fair environment of competition between Chinese and foreign news agencies and prevent monopoly, a senior Chinese official said Thursday at a news conference held by the Information Office of the State Council.

Xinhua on last Sunday promulgated the Measures for Administering the Release of News and Information in China by Foreign News Agencies.

"Relevant departments of the government will carry out supervision and Xinhua will not become a monopoly," said Liu Binjie, vice ministerof the General Administration of Press and  Publication.

In the course of opening-up and building the market economic mechanism, China needs time to improve its overall legal system. Some administrative regulations are necessary to strengthen management in certain areas. Under such circumstances, the management in accordance with administrative regulations coexists with the management in accordance with laws, Liu said.

"To this end, some government departments and institutions authorized by government departments do sometimes work out relevant administrative regulations," Liu said.

Over the past years, Xinhua has been administering the release of news and information of foreign news agencies in China, and there are no changes whatsoever in this regard, he said.

"The Chinese government will guarantee the rights and freedom of journalistic activities of foreign media in China. Such a policy has not been changed," Liu said, adding that such activities will not be affected by the Measures promulgated by Xinhua.

The official quoted Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao as saying that foreign journalists should also abide by Chinese laws.

"If the business and reporting of foreign news agencies in China are affected due to the Measures, they can lodge complaints to the Chinese government and we will see to it," he said.

A Xinhua official on Wednesday reiterated that the Measures are aimed at regulating the release of news and information in China by foreign news agencies and the subscription of such news and information by users in China and to promote the dissemination of news and information in a sound and orderly manner.

(Xinhua News Agency September 15, 2006)