China hopes that the upcoming China visit of the US President George W. Bush will further promote bilateral relations between the two countries, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao at a regular press conference on Nov. 10.

With his activities mainly scheduled on the 20th, the US President will visit China from Nov. 19 to 21 and will meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Premier Wen Jiabao and other Chinese leaders during his stay in the country.

Sino-US ties have been "going on smoothly" on the whole judging from the overall trend and development of bilateral relations over the past few years, Liu said, adding that good bilateral relations have brought concrete benefits to the peoples of the two countries as well.

Leaders and governments of the two countries are increasingly aware that it is in the interests of both countries to strengthen bilateral relations and build a constructive partnership in the 21st century, which is also conducive to the peace and stability of the region and the world at large.

It is true that the two countries have some difference of views on certain issues. China hopes to narrow differences and promote mutual understanding and trust in order to enhance comprehensive bilateral cooperation on the basis of equality and mutual respect, said the spokesman.

China criticizes Bush's meeting with Dalai Lama

China criticized US President George W. Bush yesterday for meeting the Dalai Lama this week, and dismissed Washington's annual report on religious freedom as groundless.

"The Dalai Lama is not a simple or a pure religious figure. He is a political exile who undertakes secessionist activities abroad," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said at a regular news briefing. "We oppose meetings between him and other leaders."

Bush's White House meeting with the Dalai Lama on Wednesday came just days ahead of his China visit.

"Other leaders should not provide a platform for him to separate the country," Liu said.

US condemnation of China's religious situation rejected

On Tuesday, the Bush administration, in a report to Congress, labeled China a serious violator of religious freedom along with Myanmar, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Vietnam, Iran, Sudan, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia.

China firmly rejects, with strong displeasure, accusations from US State Department of its national religion policy, Liu said.

Liu said the State Department's annual report on religious freedom, which said China restricts religious practice to State-sanctioned groups, made groundless accusations.

"We urge the US Government to stop interfering in China's religious affairs under the guise of the religion issue," Liu said, adding all people in all regions in China enjoy religious freedom in accordance with the law.

But Liu stressed the two incidents would not overshadow Bush's visit to Beijing.

"The importance will not be diminished by a single incident," he said. "The visit will achieve its planned goals."

By People's Daily Online