With the start of the one-year countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, China is confident that foreign media will have better access to reporting on the Games and China itself.

"We look forward to receiving journalists from across the world here in Beijing in 2008. I am sure the foreign press in China will enjoy an even better working environment and have more access to information in the future," Liu Jianchao, director-general of the Information Department of the Foreign Ministry, said in a recent interview.

"We are encouraged to see an increasing number of reports by foreign journalists, which now cover every aspect of our society," he said. "We are also encouraged to see that the new regulations have been widely welcomed and followed by foreign journalists, either staying in, or just making a brief visit to, China."

Liu was referring to a set of regulations which took effect on January 1, named the Regulations on Reporting Activities in China by Foreign Journalists during the Beijing Olympics and the preparatory period.

The regulations said foreign media professionals enjoy wide and free access to report from China, and they can do interviews as long as they get the permission of the subjects.

"China has followed up on its pledge to facilitate the work of foreign journalists in China," Liu stressed, saying foreign media have enjoyed greater access compared with the time before the release of the regulations.

He listed some examples of efforts to ensure "overall and accurate" implementation of the new regulations.

China Customs has simplified procedures to enable foreign journalists to clear broadcasting equipment faster.

All Chinese embassies and consulates have speeded up visa applications.

Many departments at both central and local governments have set up spokesperson systems, which allows for quicker response and provides more information to journalists.

The Information Department of the Foreign Ministry has set up a round-the-clock hotline answering questions from foreign journalists, Liu added. "We are trying to help them at the earliest time, even at midnight," he said.

Liu revealed there has been a sharp increase of resident foreign correspondents in China since the year's start, saying there are now 705 resident foreign journalists from 351 media organizations based in 53 countries, compared to 606, 315 and 49, respectively, seven months ago.