A media center was opened Tuesday for journalists covering celebrations commemorating the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1.

The center, in the Media Center Hotel, will operate until October 2 and will be responsible for providing reception and services for media personnel, such as issuing press passes and organizing interviews.

Zhu Shouchen, deputy director of the center, said they had so far received applications from more than 4,500 journalists in and outside the Chinese mainland.

The applicants include more than 1,300 journalists from 346 news organizations in 108 countries and regions outside the Chinese mainland, Zhu said.

"Nearly 400 of them are from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan," Zhu said.

The journalists from outside the Chinese mainland are from both developed countries in Europe and America and developing countries, Zhu said.

The center's website, 60newchina.cn, was also opened Tuesday.

(Xinhua News Agency September 22, 2009)