Five Government Agencies Issue Joint Opinion Restricting Foreign Companies' Access to China's Media Market

September 22, 2006

The following is a partial translation by CECC staff of an article entitled "Five Government Agencies Formulate the 'Certain Opinions Regarding the Introduction of Foreign Investment into the Cultural Domain'," published by Xinhua on August 4, 2005.


The Opinion prohibits foreign businesses from investing in or operating news organizations, radio channels (stations), television channels (stations), radio or television transmission coverage networks, companies that produce or broadcast radio or television programs, film production companies, Internet cultural business agencies and Internet access service business establishments (Hong Kong and Macao excepted), artistic performance groups, and film importation and distribution and movie showing companies. It prohibits foreign businesses from investing in businesses that engage in book, magazine, or newspaper publishing, distribution, or importation, businesses that publish, produce, distribute, or import audio-visual products and electronic publications, as well as businesses that utilize information networks to launch audio-visual programming services, news Web sites, and Internet publishing. Foreign businesses may not utilize such operating activities as publication retail sales, printing, advertisements, or conversion of cultural facilities to covertly enter into publishing and propaganda business domains such as channels, frequencies, layouts, and editing.