China warns U.S. over bible smuggling case

There are an estimated 7 million Christians in China, of whom about 3 million are Roman Catholic

BEIJING, China (CNN) -- Beijing has warned the United States not to interfere as it reacted to criticism over the detention of a Hong Kong resident accused of smuggling bibles into China.

"It's being dealt with according to law and no other country should interfere in China's independent judicial system," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

"Actually its not a case of smuggling bibles," the spokesman said. "They smuggled a large amount of cult publications."

The spokesman commented after U.S. President George W. Bush took personal interest in the case of Li Guangqiang Monday, a 38-year-old businessman detained in southern China and charged with propagating an "evil cult," a crime that could be punishable by death.

Li is not a U.S. a citizen or a permanent U.S. resident.

In referring to Li's detention Monday, State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said, "The president is deeply concerned about these reports," and had asked the State Department to look into the matter.

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Bush counts conservative Christian groups among his political supporters and has made religious freedom one of Washington's top concerns in its dealings with Beijing.

A State Department report on human rights last October included China on a list of countries that deny religious freedom to their people, accusing Beijing of the suppression spiritual groups like the Falun Gong, which have been banned as cults.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has dismissed the report as "groundless accusations."