China on Tuesday rejected a U.S. report which criticized its religious situation, saying the report was biased and groundless.

"It is a fact that the Chinese government protects its citizens' freedom of religious belief according to law, and every ethnic group in any part of China enjoys full religious freedom," said Ma Zhaoxu, spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its 2009 annual report last week, and criticized China and other countries' religious situation.

The report reiterated its advice to the State Department that China should be listed as one of the "countries of particular concern."

"The USCIRF's attempt to smear China with the report will never succeed," Ma stressed.

(Xinhua News Agency May 5, 2009)