Brev angående visumnekt

Norsk Presseforbund har sendt brev til den kinesiske ambassade etter at Aftenpostens journalist Kristoffer Rønneberg fikk avslag på søknad om visum.

H.E. Ambassador Tang Guoqiang

Embassy of the People’s Republic of China

Oslo, September 21, 2011

Dear Mr. Ambassador,

We have just been informed that one of Aftenposten?s journalists, Mr. Kristoffer Rønneberg, has not received the journalist visa for which he applied in order to follow our Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Mr. Ola Borten Moe, to a conference on carbon capture in Beijing this week. Mr. Rønneberg had received an official invitation from the China Science and Technology Exchange Center, an invitation he included in his visa application.

We are deeply disturbed by the fact that the People?s Republic of China chose to issue journalist visas to two other Norwegian journalists who applied to participate in the same conference while refusing to issue a similar visa to Aftenposten?s journalist.

Article 3 of the Regulations of the People?s Republic of China Concerning Reporting Activities of Permanent Offices of Foreign Media Organizations and Foreign Journalists, dated 17 October 2008 and promulgated by the State Council, states that «China adopts a basic state policy of opening up to the outside world». We do not see how this fine principle corresponds with denying Aftenposten a journalist visa. As you are fully aware of, Aftenposten is not only a leading quality newspaper, but the largest circulation daily in our country with reporters, correspondents and commentators serving the public and contributing to dignity and civility in international communication. Mr. Rønneberg himself is a journalist living up to the very highest standards.

Norway and the P.R.C. have enjoyed a fruitful and mutually beneficial relationship since 1950. Continued good relations between our two countries? governments and press organizations are an important part of our bilateral bond. The Norwegian Press Association has on several occasions been host to Chinese media delegations. We are saddened by the news that this relationship now has experienced an unnecessary setback. However, we still wish to believe that there is a misunderstanding somewhere in the process.

Yours sincerely

Per Edgar Kokkvold,

Secretary General,

Norwegian Press Association