Foreign press associations in China expressed alarm over recent incidents of violent beatings and threatening harassment directed against foreign reporters. The police and local security guards were involved in several of these beatings and threatening harassment incidents. Foreign press associations in China asked the Chinese regime to protect reporters.
The Chinese regime responded that foreign journalists can report freely in China despite some restrictions in Tibet. However, in reality, local officials often detain foreign reporters and sometimes beat them when they report "sensitive" incidents.
Source: BBC Chinese, August 21, 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/chinese_news/2012/08/120821_china_journalists.shtml