Beijing, September 19 (KCNA) -- A joint conference of secretaries of five religious organizations of China, in a statement released on September 16, categorically rejected the "report on international religious freedom" issued by the U.S. State Department.

The statement said the report groundlessly abused the freedom of religion and belief in China, urging the U.S. Government to respect the reality, discard misunderstanding and stop interfering in internal affairs over religious issues.