The Chinese mainland issued a set of regulations on Wednesday, lifting restrictions on the activities of Taiwan journalists 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 are entitled to multiple entries.

Taiwan journalists are no longer required to apply to provincial authorities for permission to report in areas under their jurisdiction, but need only obtain prior consent of the organizations or individuals they want to interview.

The new regulations have simplified the customs procedures for reporting equipment brought by Taiwan journalists into the mainland by canceling the requirement of an guarantee letter provided by the All-China Journalists Association or local Taiwan affairs offices.

The regulations said that Taiwan journalists may also, through relevant service organizations, hire mainland citizens to assist them in their reporting activities.

Taiwan journalists are also allowed, on a temporary basis, to bring in, install and use radio communication equipment after completing the required application and approval procedures, the regulations said.

Li Weiyi, spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said the new regulations were "in line with the common practice of the Olympic Games and would offer more convenience to Taiwan journalists".

Li said the original regulations, set in 2002, were still valid but if there were any contradictions between the two, the new regulations should be taken as standard.

"Our attitude towards cross-Straits exchanges is open and positive," Li told a press briefing.

Meanwhile, the official also urged Taiwan authorities to lift a ban that forbids two leading mainland news organizations, People's Daily and Xinhua News Agency, to station reporters in Taiwan.

In April 2005, Taiwan authorities barred Xinhua News Agency and People's Daily from stationing reporters in the island. As a result, only three mainland news organizations are allowed to send journalists and photographers to Taiwan on a monthly rotation basis.

The Chinese mainland allowed Taiwan media organizations to station reporters on the mainland in 1993. The Taiwan authorities announced limited access to journalists from the mainland in 2000.

Before the 2005 ban, five mainland official news organizations - Xinhua News Agency, People's Daily, China Central Television (CCTV), China National Radio and China News Service - gained permission to station reporters in Taiwan.

Source: Xinhua