China voiced its strong indignation and firm opposition to a decision by US immigration authorities to grant political asylum in the United States to a Chinese Falun Gong practitioner.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said that China has made solemn representations to the US on this issue.

Zhang said that the Falun Gong organization is an evil cult that jeopardizes the Chinese society and the Chinese people. The banning of the organization by the Chinese government according to law is aimed at protecting the fundamental human rights and freedom of Chinese citizens, and it is also an effective measure for safeguarding social stability and preventing the organization from bringing greater harm to the public, she added.

The Chinese government's handling of the Falun Gong problem has earned staunch support from the people across the country and the understanding of the international community, Zhang noted.

She noted that the Chinese government will only punish, according to law, a small number of criminals who have designed, organized and incited turmoils. Meanwhile, the government will educate and unite the overwhelming majority of practitioners, therefore, there is no problem of so-called persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, she added.

However, US immigration officials, disregarding these basic facts, went so far as to grant so-called political asylum to a Falun Gong practitioner, she said, adding that this is a typical demonstration of the double standard the US side adopts on the cult problem.

"This is a groundless charge against the Chinese government and a gross interference in China's internal affairs," she said.

"We demand the US government understand and respect the Chinese government's principled stand in handling the Falun Gong problem by correcting this erroneous act of the US immigration authorities, and no longer interfere in China's internal affairs, so as to avoid bringing more difficulties to Sino-US ties," she added.