China was criticised at the World Trade Organisation on Monday for its restrictions on foreign news agencies who are unable to sell their information to local media, trade sources said.
Canada, the United States, Japan and the European Union all requested more information from China over the measures it introduced last year, during a meeting on financial services at WTO headquarters here, the sources said.
In September 2006, China renewed the monopoly held by the state news agency Xinhua, which precludes foreign providers of news financial information services from dealing directly with Chinese clients, but instead have to go through a Xinhua affiliate.
China said in response that it did not make any commitments on news agency services during its WTO accession talks in 2001.
"Although some foreign news agencies are providing 'financial information services' for their Chinese users and claim themselves to be 'financial information providers' or 'financial services companies', their identities as 'news agencies' remain unchanged," China's delegate told the meeting.
"Therefore, the foreign news agencies releasing news and information in the territory of China shall comply with the measures," the Chinese representative added.AFP
