China's media curbs loom as trade issue

China's restrictions on foreign media, long a concern of rights groups and press freedom advocates, have now become a trade issue.

The United States has told China to get serious about relaxing the restraints, in a letter that could represent a final warning before the U.S. asks the WTO to intervene in the matter, the Associated Press learned Wednesday.

In the letter to Chinese trade officials, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative signaled it has run out of patience with China's refusal to change rules introduced two years ago that appeared to boost the official Xinhua News Agency at the expense of news and financial information companies such as Reuters Group PLC and Bloomberg LP.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/01/30/china.media.ap/index.html