1. Registration:

(1) If the journalists with the incoming delegation do not exceed the number of 40, the indoor and outdoor welcoming ceremony will be open to all the cameramen and photographers of the foreign media based in Beijing. The day when the Foreign Ministry spokesperson releases the news about visit by foreign dignitary to China, a notification will be put on the International Press Center (IPC) website to solicit the registration of foreign media to cover the event. Each media should register with the Information Department for 2 TV cameramen or 1 photographer at maximum in a written form by fax.

(2) If the journalists with the incoming delegation exceed the number of 40, the number of cameramen and photographers of the foreign media based in Beijing covering the welcoming ceremony will be limited to 20 (including 6 from the POOL). Each media should register with the Information Department for 2 TV cameramen or 1 photographer at maximum in a written form by fax. The first 20 journalists, whom will be informed by the Information Department, are allowed to participate.

(3)The registration lasts till 3 working days before the visit. Foreign media could pick up the vehicle passes 2 days before the visit at IPC.

(4)For some special visits, which have much larger scale of journalists with the incoming delegation and specific requirements are raised for by the Security Authorities, the way of covering will be arranged on an ad hoc base.

2. Press Credentials: Journalists covering the welcoming ceremony should present at the security check venue the Pool Cards issued by the Information Department, or the Resident Journalist Cards, the Temporary Journalist Cards issued by IPC. The Chinese assistants working with the foreign media should present the Employees Cards or Passes issued by the Beijing Service Bureau for Diplomatic Missions (DSB).

3. Arrangements in details

(1) Outdoor welcoming ceremony

A. Security check

The journalists concerned should undergo security check 45 minutes in advance of the event at the North Gate of the GHP, presenting their Press Credentials (If the venue for security check changes, the journalists will be informed beforehand). After security check, the Chinese working staff guide the journalists through the GHP to the designated area on the square outside the East Gate.

Journalists only covering the welcoming ceremony should wait for a while after the ceremony and proceed along the square outside the East Gate to the North Gate and depart.

Journalists from the POOL covering the talks and meetings afterwards shall enter through the East Gate into the Great Hall of the People and wait at the designated area. They should depart from the North Gate after the covering.

B. Arrangements for the rise

The rise will be separated with a rope into two parts, one for the journalists covering the welcoming ceremony, talks and meetings, another one for the journalists only covering the welcoming ceremony.

(2) Indoor welcoming ceremony

A. Security check

The journalists concerned should undergo security check 45 minutes in advance of the event at the North Gate of the Great Hall of the People, presenting their Press Credentials. (If the venue for security check changes, the journalists will be informed beforehand). The Chinese working staff guide the journalists to the area designated.

Journalists only covering the welcoming ceremony should wait for a while and depart from the North Gate of the GHP.

Journalists from the POOL covering the talks and meetings will be guided by the Chinese working staff to the area designated and wait. They should depart from the North Gate after the covering.

B. Arrangements for the rise

The rise for the journalists will be separated with a rope into two parts: one for the journalists covering the welcoming ceremony, talks and meetings, another one for the journalists only covering the welcoming ceremony.

III. Covering the Chinese and foreign dignitaries meeting with the media

1. Number of journalists: If the meeting is held in the Hebei Hall of the Great Hall of the People, 15 foreign journalists based in Beijing (including 6 from POOL) may participate. If the event is held in the West Hall of the Great Hall of the People, 50 foreign journalists based in Beijing (including 6 from POOL) may participate.

2. Registration: The day when the Foreign Ministry spokesperson releases the news about visit by foreign dignitary to China, a notification will be put on the IPC website to solicit the registration of foreign media to cover the event. Each media should register with the Information Department for 2 TV cameramen or 1 photographer at maximum in a written form by fax. The first 15 journalists (including 6 from POOL) or the first 50 journalists (including 6 from POOL) according to the order of registration, whom will be informed by the Information Department, are allowed to participate. The registration lasts till 3 working days before the visit.

3. Press credentials: The Information Department will issue Pool Cards to the foreign journalists covering the event. Foreign media could pick up the Pool Cards and vehicle passes 2 days before the visit at IPC.

4. Security check: The journalists concerned should undergo security check 45 minutes in advance of the event at the North Gate of the GHP (If the venue for security check changes, the journalists will be informed beforehand). After security check, the Chinese working staff guide the journalists to the area designated.

5. If the Chinese and foreign dignitaries do not meet the media neither in the Hebei Hall nor in the West Hall of the GHP, the journalists will be informed of by the Information Department the detailed arrangements beforehand.

IV. Covering the arrival of the special plane of foreign dignitaries

1. Opening range: It is open to all the cameramen and photographers of the foreign media based in Beijing to cover the arrival of the special plane of foreign leaders and the greeting ceremony of the Chinese guard of honor.

2. Registration: The day when the Foreign Ministry spokesperson releases the news about visit by foreign dignitary to China, a notification will be put on the IPC website to solicit the registration of foreign media to cover the event. Each media should register with the Information Department for 2 TV crew or 1 photographer at maximum in a written form by fax. The registration lasts till 3 working days before the visit.

3. Security check: The journalists covering the event should undergo security check 45 minutes in advance of the event at the designated venue, presenting the Pool Cards issued by the Information Department, or the Resident Journalist Cards, the Temporary Journalist Cards issued by IPC. The Chinese assistants working with the foreign media should present the Employees Cards or Passes issued by the DSB. After security check, the Chinese working staff guide the journalists to the designated area to cover the event.

V. On-the-spot management

To ensure the order of the function areas, the journalists should be subordinate to the management of the Chinese working staff.

VI. Logistic service

When the journalists cover the events in the GHP, the Chinese host will set up a resting area for the journalists in a certain area (the passage between the west side of the Hebei Hall and the east side of the staircases) equipped with drinking water machine, cups and chairs. If the journalists are in larger scale, the Chinese host will open some resting room.