A senior Beijing church official on Monday urged Christians in the Chinese capital to be patriotic and abide by the law.

Cai Kui, head of the Beijing Committee of Three-Self Patriotic Movement of Protestant Churches (TSPM) in China, said that Christians in Beijing should be both good followers of God and good citizens.

"The love for the country does not conflict with the love for the religion," Cai said. "The code of ethics championed by Christianity coincides with that promoted by the Chinese government in many ways."

Cai called on Christians to contribute to "the national and social stability and unity."

TSPM has been a mainstream, registered Protestant church in China since the 1950s. The "three-self" principles stand for self-governance, self-support and self-propagation. The "three-self" movement triumphs the Chinese Protestant church's independence from overseas influence.

Last month, Shen Xuebin, vice chairman of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee of the Protestant Churches in China, urged church members not to answer calls for participation in street gatherings planned every Sunday in public places across the country.

Shen's remarks came after some foreign media reported that a statement allegedly issued by "a group of Chinese Christians" was circulating on the Internet and called on Christians in China to gather in 38 public places on every Sunday afternoon.

Shen said Chinese Christians should love the country and protect social stability, instead of following calls of some anti-China forces who attempt to sabotage China.