Chinese Province Overhauls Government Publications

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, March 11, 2003

Chinese Province Overhauls Government Publications

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People in central China's Hubei Province now can say which newspapers and periodicals they will subscribe to after a year's battle against being forced to buy government publications produced in the province.

In early 2002, the provincial government established a team to deal with the problem of redundant government publications amid mounting complaints.

After careful investigation, the team proposed a reform plan to the provincial committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which approved the plan.

The proposal suggested government bodies stop publishing and distributing all 57 such newspapers and periodicals so they would not profit from the business.

Over the last year, five periodicals published by Hubei's CPC committee, People's Congress, government, Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Provincial Committee, and CPC Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection were ordered to limit copies and distribute them free of charge.

Thirty-two newspapers and periodicals were asked to operate totally independently of the government bodies that used to run them.

The public circulation of another three periodicals was stopped. Five periodicals merged with other media groups and six closed down.

The remaining six were kept but no forced subscription or advertising by the controlling authority were allowed.

Under the plan, any internal publications by government bodies without the approval of the provincial press and publication administration will be closed down.

The one-year reform has been welcomed by grass-root governments and people in the province as it eases the previous burden of compulsory subscription.

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