The New York Times
July 3, 2006

A Chinese draft law that threatens to fine domestic and foreign news media for reporting without permission on ‘sudden incidents’ is intended ‘to prevent malicious behavior by news media that willfully mislead the public.’

Beijing: A Chinese draft law that threatens to fine news media for reporting on “sudden incidents” without permission applies to foreign as well as domestic news organizations, an official involved in preparing the legislation said Monday. The law, now under consideration by the legislature, calls for fines of up to $12,500 if news media produce unauthorized reports on outbreaks of disease, natural disasters, social disturbances or other so-called sudden incidents that officials determine to be false or harmful to China’s social order. The authorities in charge of propaganda generally have not sought to censor foreign news reports the way they do those of domestic publications. As a result, foreign newspapers and magazines sometimes investigate sensitive political and social issues, including protests and outbreaks of disease, that local media report cannot report freely. Wang Yongqing, vice minister of the legislative affairs office of China’s State Council, or cabinet, said at a news conference . . . [that] the clause pertaining to the media . . . is intended only to prevent malicious behavior by news media that willfully mislead the public.