SHANGHAI, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- A spokesman of the Shanghai municipal government said on Friday that the city never suspended issuing invitation letters to support business visa applications in response to some foreign media's reports.

    Some foreign media reported that the Shanghai authorities would not issue invitation letters to support visa applications until after the Beijing Olympic Games.

    "The reports did not conform to the truth," the spokesman said.

    Beginning this year, the municipal economic and trade commission has never stopped issuing such letters. In the first half of this year, the commission dealt with more than 500 letters a day. The total letters issued in that period increased by 170 percent year on year.

    Some related authorities adjusted the procedures of visa applications ahead of the Beijing Olympics in order to forestall possible security threats. But it would not affect people coming to China and engaging in normal activities, the spokesman said.