Rupert Murdoch urges China to open up media market

Australian-born media mogul, Rupert Murdoch has urged China to open up its media market in line with other Asian countries and at the same time protect intellectual properties.

Speaking at the World Media Summit in Beijing today, Rupert Murdoch, chairman and chief executive of News Corporation said, "The embrace of the digital age is as vital to China today as its decision thirty years ago to take its place in the global economy. The policy then was called 'the open door' – China now has a chance to open its digital door.''

"There are interesting media companies emerging in China but piracy will make it difficult for them to generate the profits at home that would fuel growth abroad," Murdoch told the audience of 300 media executives from over 170 media outlets around the world at the Great Hall of the People.

At the World Media Summit, hosted by the state-run Xinhua news agency and eight other world media organisations, Murdoch said "The digital renaissance offers China an opportunity to exercise leadership.''

He also urged China to ensure that intellectual property is protected and added that the growth of Chinese media companies would also be hindered by intellectual property violations but competition would better prepare them for the rigors of the international market.

Coming to his recent favourite topic of charging for content, Murdoch said that in the future, internet users would have to pay for quality content, "if we do not take advantage of the current movement toward paid-for content, it will be the content creators, the people in this hall, who will pay the ultimate price, and the content kleptomaniacs will triumph."