ENG-1957 — Page 331

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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT

Associated Press of America, Agence France-Presse, Reuter (in association with the Australian Associated Press) and United Press. Offices are also maintained in Hong Kong by the independent Pan-Asia Newspaper Alliance, the New China News Agency (official agency of the Chinese Government), the Central News Agency of the Taiwan administration and the Japanese agencies, Jiji Press and Kyodo News Service. There are also a number of small local agencies serving the vernacular newspapers and two or three correspondents (either staff or part-time) for other overseas agencies.

Staff foreign correspondents regularly resident in the Colony number about 40. The majority represent the United States press, followed numerically by Japanese and British. Most leading newspapers and a number of news magazines in the United States, United Kingdom and Japan have either staff or part-time representatives in the Colony. Broadcasting and television systems-particularly those of the North American continent—are also well represented. The Time and Life magazine organization and the New York Times both maintain bureaux in Hong Kong.

The number of editors, correspondents, broadcasters and television units visiting the Colony continues to increase year by year. In 1956 there were about 200 such visitors.

GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICE

The main work of the Government Public Relations Office is the provision of news about Government activities and interpretation of official policy for dissemination through press and broadcasting channels, both domestic and foreign. Apart from its published output and regular daily contact with local newspapers and the foreign press corps, the department's staff are active in assisting and providing local contacts for visiting correspondents, broadcasters, film units and the like.

During the year the Government's policy on information services was under review. As an interim measure, four