The organizers of the Beijing Olympics said yesterday that the process of media accreditation for the torch relay was now under way.
Based on the planned route, the Olympic Flame will reach the high point of its journey, the peak of Mount Qomolangma (Everest) - the world's tallest peak at 8,844 m above sea level - in May, weather permitting.
The safety and health of journalists at such high altitudes will also be considered when granting access to cover the event, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) said on its website.
The mountain experiences snow all year round and can prove dangerous, as it is frequently beset with sudden snowstorms, wind and daily weather changes.
For permission to cover the rest of the torch relay on the mainland, overseas media can apply to the BOCOG, which said it will grant access in accordance with host cities' requirements.
For overseas sections of the route, media representatives should contact the relevant national authorities directly, it said.
A Service Guide of Coverage of the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay for Media outside the Mainland of China to facilitate coverage was also released yesterday.
Applications can be made until the end of this month.
Li Zhanjun, director of the Olympic news center, said: "To better facilitate applications from overseas media, we have selected more than 10 personnel specially for the registration process.
"A telephone hotline and a special counter will be operated 24 hours a day in consideration of time differences."
Last year, the BOCOG also issued a series of service guides to help overseas media before and during the Beijing Olympic Games.
Hu Zhengrong, vice-president of the Communication University of China, said: "The guide for the coverage of the torch relay should be a supplement for the guides issued last year.
"It's a good signal that China is linking more closely with the rest of the world."
Foreign reporters have hailed the approach.
Jaime FlorCruz, CNN's Beijing bureau chief, said: "We all welcome the new rules and hope they will be followed to the letter and in the right spirit."
Source: China Daily
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