BEIJING, July 18 -- China on Thursday slashed U.S. President Donald Trump's meeting with so-called "Chinese victims of religious persecution," urging the U.S. side to stop using religious issues to interfere in its internal affairs.

"It is sheer interference in China's domestic affairs for the U.S. side to invite Falun Gong cultists and those who slander China's religious policies to attend a so-called religious conference and arrange for the meeting with the U.S. leader," Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lu Kang said at a press briefing when asked to comment on the meeting at the White House Wednesday.

"China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes such a move," Lu said.

He said the situation of so-called religious persecution does not exist in China and Chinese citizens enjoy the freedom of religious belief in accordance with the law.

"We demand that the United States correctly view China's religious policies and the status of religious freedom in China, and stop using the issue of religion to interfere in other countries' domestic affairs," Lu said.