other major titles, including the new york times, increasingly have to rely on stringers as their own reporters are working outside china's borders. and steve vines, the observer's man in hong kong since the 1980s said this week that it was no longer safe for him to be there and has decided to come back to the uk. so what is the situation forjournalists in china and for those trying to cover the country from afar? let me introduce you to my guests. i mentioned steve vines, he is one of them, former china correspondent for the observer, now back in the uk. sha hua is a correspondent for the wall streetjournal based in hong kong. cedric alviani is head of the east asia bureau for reporters without borders and isjoining us from taiwan. amy qin is china correspondent for the new york times, based in beijing, now works in taiwan, she is on the line from california. and meera selva, deputy director of the reuters institute at oxford university. welcome to all of you,