Q: Recently, some official of US State Department claimed to list eight countries including China as "Countries of Particular Concern" with regard to religious freedom in 2006. What comment do you have on it?
A: Related actions of the US violate basic norms governing international relations and grossly interfere in other countries' internal affairs. China expresses strong dissatisfactions and firm opposition.
The Chinese Government protects its citizens' rights and freedom of religious belief in accordance with law. All ethnic groups and the people in all regions in China enjoy full freedom of religious belief in accordance with law. The Chinese people are in the better position than anyone else to talk about this.
We urge the US to respect the fact, stop interfering in China's internal affairs with the pretext of religion and other issues and do more in the benefit of enhancing mutual understanding between China and the US instead of doing the opposite.