A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Saturday denounced a US
religion body's reportĀ on the religious situation in China,
saying it interfered with China's internal affairs.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
(USCIRF) once again took potshots at the religious situation in
China and other developing countries in its 2006 annual report,
spokesman Liu Jianchao said when asked to comment on the
report.
That part of the report which involves China skews and accuses
China's policies on religion and ethnic minorities regardless of
what some members of the organization witnessed during their visit
to China last year, said Liu.
The report also tries to encourage the practice of the Falungong
cult.
"All this shows once again the organization's ignorance and
prejudice," said the spokesman.
"It is obvious to all that the Chinese government protects
Chinese citizens' freedom of religious belief according to law and
Chinese citizens enjoy full freedom of religious belief protected
by law," he said.
The USCIRF's repeated interference with China's internal affairs
under the pretense of religion runs against the development
momentum of relations between China and the United States and is
thus doomed to failure.
"The USCIRF should stop interfering in other countries' internal
affairs, so as not to further harm its own reputation or create
obstacles in relations between the United States and other
countries and in the exchange between it and other relevant
parties, the spokesman said.
(Xinhua News Agency May 7, 2006)