Some of the ideas presented are daring and controversial, apparently with the acquiescence of government officials. But while the papers are under the Party's control, there is a constant question over how far they can go.

Guangzhou Daily News Group was the mainland's first newspaper producer to become a corporation run by a professional management, on January 1, 1996. The other two major Guangdong news groups - Yangcheng and Nanfang - were registered last May.

The 15th Party Congress in September 1997 gave official blessing for the media's new role, through the notion of 'supervision through public opinion and media'. Rivalry is strong between Guangdong papers, with the arrival of a new daily under the Yangcheng Evening News Group in March 1998.

Xin Kuai Bao , or The New Express, is different in many ways from conventional newspapers in the mainland. For a start, it is probably the only one with a turquoise banner over the name - rather than the usual red or black characters with no background colour - to convey freshness and brightness, according to deputy chief editor Xu Qizhuo . All 16 pages are also in full colour.

The New Express at present has a daily circulation of around 130,000 to 160,000, including 3,000 copies which are flown to Shanghai daily. This is low compared with a claimed figure of 800,000 for the Nanfang Daily, the Guangdong Party committee's official mouthpiece, and Guangzhou's equivalent, the Guangzhou Daily, which boasts circulation of 1.12 million.

Yet the Yangcheng Evening News, the New Express company's flagship, was the mainland's number three with a daily circulation of 1.3 million copies, preceded only by Shanghai's Xinmin Evening News and the People's Daily, the Party's national mouthpiece.

'Keep in mind Shanghai has a population of 11 million and Guangzhou only six million. Yangcheng should be the nation's number one on a per capita basis,' Mr Xu says.

The Party papers have huge institutional subscriptions that boost their figures, he says.

A Guangzhou Daily staff member dismissed its new rival as leisure reading, while describing the Daily as 'a must for all official departments and offices in the province'.

The New Express aims for readers with 'youthfulness, knowledge and wealth' through human interest stories covering issues such as robberies, accidents, murder and drugs - often described and pictured in lurid detail that would be regarded as tame for Hong Kong newspapers, but is unheard of over the border.

But the New Express also touches on sensitive issues, such as political reforms, sometimes in radical fashion, given its status administratively under the Guangzhou Party.

A recent article entitled 'Constitution and Long Lasting Peace' presented 'some personal views on a few questionable points in the state constitution'.

The Yangcheng Evening News also broke party norms by printing on its front page an article on the revised 'Rules of Procedure' the day after they were approved at the recent provincial People's Congress. In contrast, the official media only carried details of the amendment weeks later.

So far, the propaganda machine is at least tolerating the new outspokenness. Mr Xu says he knows of no criticism of the New Express from above. Wuhan, Nanjing and Chengdu are reported to be following Guangdong's lead in opening its press.

And even the official press is not standing still. Reports on social injustice, corruption, smuggling and other 'bad' news are receiving more coverage even in the mainstream papers such as the Nanfang Daily and Guangzhou Daily.

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences says this is because the Party cannot keep up with changes in public attitude and behaviour, so official papers have to become more active in playing a supervisory role.

And last October, Premier Zhu Rongji even showed his tacit support for the opening of the media, visiting China Central Television and giving a big hand to the station's most popular investigative TV show, Focal Point.

Yet it is unclear how long this fresher outlook will continue while the media remains in the firm grip of the Party apparatus, which swings with the political pendulum.

NPC chairman Li Peng confirmed last November that steps were being taken to legislate the regulations on news media. But nothing more was heard on the issue at this month's annual session of the Chinese legislature. Party chief Jiang Zemin said at a recent national propaganda meeting that 'all Party media workers should persevere in the Party principles to safeguard unity and stability. There should be absolutely no pursuing for sensational news'.

With a series of politically sensitive dates coming up this year, pressure is expected to mount on the media reform under the pretext of upholding stability.

But latest statistics show that the number of news groups has grown from six last year to 11 now. And that is likely to be just the beginning of a trend.