Q: Recently the US Commission on International Religious Freedom released its 2006annual report, criticizing religious policies of China and other countries. What is your comment?

A: The annual report of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom made irresponsible remarks on the religious situation in China and other developing countries. Regardless of what members saw and heard in China last year, the Commission issued the report with distortions, attacking China's religious and ethnic policies, and even supporting the Falungong Cult. Once again it reveals their ignorance and bias.

It is a well-known fact that the Chinese government protects the religious freedom of citizens in accordance with law and the Chinese citizens enjoy full freedom of religious belief. The Commission's repeated interference in China's internal affairs under the pretext of religious freedom is unpopular and against the sound momentum of development of the current bilateral relations.

We urge the Commission to change its policy and stop interfering in other countries' internal affairs with the excuse of religious issues to avoid further damage to its own image and setting up barriers for the relations between US and other countries as well as the exchanges between the Commission and relevant parties.