The U.S. State Department on Monday released its annual international religious freedom report, making undue comments on the status of religious freedom in 198 countries and regions from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009.

The report noted that China had taken some positive steps in protection of religious freedom, and that China's Constitution protects ordinary religious activities.

However, the State Department in its report continued to include China on a list of "Countries of Particular Concern." With groundless information from some overseas media reports and anti-China organizations, the report criticizes China's justified actions to maintain social stability in Tibet and Xinjiang and safeguard territorial integrity as "repression of religious freedom."

The Chinese government has repeatedly reiterated that China is a multi-religious country and its Constitution guarantees freedom of religious belief for its citizens. China's religious policy has won broad support from the Chinese people.

The Chinese government has all along opposed some Western forces' attempts to interfere in other nations' internal affairs by using religion issues as a pretext and their practice of commenting unduly on other nations' religious conditions.

Myanmar, Eritrea, Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Uzbekistan are also listed as "Countries of Particular Concern" in the U.S. report.

The U.S. State Department submits the report on international religious freedom to Congress every year. Many countries, including China, have categorically rejected the U.S. accusations.

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