Wen Jiabao, friend of the foreign media? So says China Daily, reporting on a speech Wen gave in London yesterday in which he "stressed that China would stick to the policy of opening-up to the outside world".  Wen apparently assured his audience at the China-Britain Business Council that the state would protect the rights of foreign media in order to "assure the smooth flow of the economic and financial information".  There was a sting in the tail, though, as he intimated that this protection would be available only to those who play by the Chinese government’s rules.  "We will work to ensure that financial and economic information will flow uninterrupted. We trust that the foreign media will … observe Chinese laws and regulations," he is reported to have said.

More of the same at the Foreign Ministry yesterday, too, where officials are putting on their friendly faces in an effort to dampen talk of a media clampdown in advance of the 2008 Games.   "China will continue to improve its work and provide more service, convenience and help to foreign media and journalists," said spokesman Qin Gang.  But before you grab your dictaphone and rush off to interview that political dissident under house arrest in Tibet, Mr. Qin also reminds you that "China also hopes foreign media and journalists can observe the laws and regulations of their resident country".