Chinese mainland issued a set of regulations Wednesday offering Taiwan journalists more convenience to report on the mainland in the run-up to and during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The regulations, issued by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, will come into force on Jan. 1, 2007, and expire on Oct. 17, 2008.

Similar regulations have already been issued for foreign journalists reporting on the 2008 Olympics.

Under the new regulations, Taiwan journalists who hold valid Olympic accreditation cards and passes to the mainland are entitled to multiple entries.

To interview organizations or individuals in China, Taiwan journalists need only to obtain their prior consent, the regulations said.

They may, through relevant service organizations, hire mainland citizens to assist them in their reporting activities, according to the regulations.

At the press conference, Li also urged Taiwan authorities to remove a ban that forbids two leading mainland news organizations, People's Daily and Xinhua News Agency, to send resident reporters to Taiwan.

(Xinhua News Agency December 27, 2006)