A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Saturday denounced a US religion body's report 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)