BEIJING - CHINA should extend indefinitely relaxed reporting rules for foreign journalists introduced for the Olympics and apply them to the Chinese media as well, Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

As part of Beijing's bid to host the Games it promised to allow complete media freedom, including letting foreign reporters interview anyone without first getting government permission, though the state's grip over domestic media did not ease.

But that freedom is due to expire on Friday.

'While there were serious problems in implementing Olympics-related media freedom regulations, they did mark a new and much higher standard in Chinese law for reporting freedom,' said Human Rights Watch Asia advocacy director Sophie Richardson.

'But keeping the regulations in effect and extending them to Chinese journalists would be one of the most important legacies of the Games,' she added in a statement received on Thursday.

China's Foreign Ministry has so far declined to give an exact answer on whether the reporting rules would be extended.

Rights groups and the Foreign Correspondents Club of China, while welcoming the relaxing of restrictions, have repeatedly expressed concern about harassment of foreign reporters, especially those covering sensitive topics like protests.