BEIJING, Mar. 2 -- The British Broadcasting Company's (BBC) flagship political debate programme, Question Time, will broadcast a special edition from Shanghai later this month.

    This is the first time such a programme produced by a mainstream Western media outlet has been filmed in China.

    The project has been given the go-ahead for March 10 by the Shanghai Municipal Foreign Affairs Office.

    Chinese Government spokesman Liu Jianchao, Wild Swans author Jung Chang, EU Commissioner Chris Patten, founder of the Chinese fashion brand Shang Tang, David Tang, and secretary-general of the Boao Forum and goodwill ambassador to the UN Industrial Development Organization, Long Yongtu, will serve on a panel on the night, answering questions before a live studio audience, the BBC said on its website.

    English-speaking people in Shanghai, residents or visitors, are being invited to apply to join the studio audience. They will be able to ask any questions they like on the most important political issues affecting China and its relations with Britain and the rest of the world.

    Question Time's webpage has been made accessible in China to facilitate audience participation.

    Questions to be raised could cover a wide range of issues such as motherland reunification, human rights and the growth of China's economy. There could also be questions on more global issues such as democracy in Iraq, the environment, or the rights and wrongs of the George W. Bush administration's policies.

    The news of the broadcast has received a warm response from the English-speaking population in Shanghai, and applications to take part in the programme have even come from outside the city, said sources close to the project.

    The number of applications received and the profiles of the applicants will be kept confidential, in line with the programme's rules. However, the audience will be carefully selected to reflect the broadest range of opinions possible.

    Question Time staff are considering holding a press event for local media in Shanghai to accompany the show, according to sources close to the project.

    The special edition of Question Time is part of the BBC's China Week, a themed week of news reports and programmes on China.

    Question Time routinely tours Britain, and has previously broadcast overseas editions.

    
(Source: China Daily)