(November 4, 1999) China strongly opposes a resolution passed by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. Senate condemning China's crackdown on the Falun Gong cult, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said at a press conference on November 4, 1999.

Zhang said the resolution, which demands that China immediately cease persecuting religious institutions, wantonly reproaches the Chinese government's lawful handling of the Falun Gong cult.

This is a gross interference in China's internal affairs, Zhang said.

Falun Gong is by no means a religious institution but a heretical cult which poses a threat to Chinese society and people, she said.

The Chinese government's ban of the Falun Gong cult according to law has saved a large number of victims brainwashed by the cult, safeguarded the human rights and freedom of the Chinese people, and maintained the rule of law, she added.

The position of the Chinese government has won the support of not only the overwhelming majority of former Falun Gong practitioners, but also the endorsement of the Chinese public, Zhang noted, adding that the move has gained widespread sympathy in the international community.

Regardless of these facts, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. Senate passed the resolution and made groundless charges against the Chinese government, Zhang said.

China demands that the U.S. senators respect the support China has received for its actions, abandon the double standard on the issue of handling cults, and stop interfering in China's internal affairs regarding the Falun Gong issue, the spokeswoman said.