BEJING - International Olympic Committee inspectors have reminded China of its obligation to provide open Internet access to journalists at the Olympic Games in August.
China, which will host the games in Beijing, has a reputation for restricting access to foreign news websites and sites such as YouTube, which featured video clips of protests in Tibet. However, China's contract with the International Olympic Committee requires the nation to provide open Internet access to journalists.
The International Olympic Committee expressed concern about China's Internet access, particularly following March protests over its handling of matters related to Tibet.
The unrest in Tibet has led to calls for a boycott of the Olympic Games, the Associated Press reported.
"There was some criticism that the Internet closed down during events relating to Tibet in previous weeks, but this is not games time," Kevan Gosper of the International Olympic Committee told BBC News. "Our concern is that the press is able to operate as it has at previous games during games time."
