China cancels EU press briefing over reporters

CHINESE premier Wen Jiabao pulled out of a press conference with the EU following a summit between the two during the week because of objections to some journalists present, according to EU officials.

Officially the reason given by both the Chinese and the EU was that the summit ran over time and they did not have enough time for the scheduled joint press conference.

But four Chinese journalists working for independent media, whom the Chinese authorities consider to be dissident, were at first refused entry to the EU council building where the press conference was to take place.