Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhu Bangzao Wednesday criticized a U.S. report on international religious affairs, describing it as an attempt to defame China, interfering in China's internal affairs and harm Sino-U.S. relations.
Answering a journalist's question, Zhu said the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom released on May 1 its 2001 annual report which makes improper comments on and unwarranted charges against the religious situations in some countries, including China.
In the China-related contents of the report, the commission distorted the facts and wantonly attacked China's religious policy and the Chinese government's ban on the Falun Gong cult according to law, Zhu said.
The report even openly asked the U.S. government to set barriers for Beijing's bid for the 2008 Olympic Games and to continue to table an anti-China motion in future sessions of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.
By doing so, Zhu said, the U.S. commission has trampled the basic norms of international relations and grossly interfered in China's internal affairs, and the Chinese government and people expressed strong indignation against and opposition to such a report.
Zhu pointed out that the Chinese government protects the freedom of religious belief for its citizens in accordance with the law and Chinese citizens do enjoy such freedom according to law.
At the same time, the Chinese government prohibits, according to law, any organization or individual to run criminal activities in the name of religion.
The spokesman said Falun Gong is an evil cult with anti-human, anti-scientific and anti-social features, which adopts a hostile attitude towards religions, harms the public interest and is a tumor of society.
China's ban on the evil cult protects the basic human rights and freedom of the vast majority of the people and the move has won firm support from the people, including religious figures, he said.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom attempted to use the said report to defame China, interfere in China's internal affairs and sabotage China-U.S. relations, the spokesman said, adding that such a vicious intention will be proved futile.
He said the Chinese side demands the U.S. government respect the facts, oppose the said report, take practical measures to wipe out its adverse impact, stop interfering in China's internal affairs with religious issues as a pretext, so as to avoid new damage done to Sino-U.S. relations.
(People’s Daily 05/03/2001)
