New Rules on Providing News Services in China. Same as the Old Rules.
On May 2, 2017, the Cyberspace Administration of China promulgated the
Administrative Provisions for Internet News Information Services
(Provisions),which came into effect on June 1, 2017.
In comparison to the former rules, the new Provisions on operation on internet news information services is more explicit. Regarding the contents of the news information, it is clearly provided that the News information includes relevant reports and commentaries on politics, economy, military affairs, foreign affairs, and other public affairs, as well as relevant reports and commentaries on social emergencies. Therefore, the sports, culture, technology and commercial reports news reports will not be governed by the Provisions. As to applicable channels for transmission, internet websites, applications, forums, blogs, micro-blogs, official accounts, instant message tools, network-based broadcast, etc. are covered in the Provisions. In respect of the service mode, due to the service providers are engaging in different types of works, the internet news information service has been divided into services of collecting, editing and releasing internet news information, services of reposting news information and services of providing a platform to spread news information.
As for the access of foreign investment in the internet news information service, the Provisions follow the former rules and provide that no organization may establish a company engaging in internet news information services in the form of a Sino-foreign equity joint venture, Sino-foreign cooperative joint venture or wholly foreign-invested enterprise.
If an internet news information service provider cooperates with a domestic or overseas Sino-foreign equity joint venture, a Sino-foreign cooperative joint venture or a wholly foreign-invested enterprise in businesses relating to Internet news information services, it shall report their cooperation to the Cyberspace Administration of China for security evaluation. The Provisions further prescribe that the internet news information service providers shall separate their news collection and editing services from other operational businesses. Non-government-originated capital (which include the foreign investment) shall not be used for services of collecting and editing internet news information. Even the principal or chief editor of the service provider shall be Chinese citizen.