Q: What is Falun Gong?

A: It is a sinister cult that has surfaced in China in recent years. Li Hongzhi, its founder, preaches doomsday theory, claiming that mankind faces destruction and one can reach salvation only by following him.

Q: What are the major features of Falun Gong?

A: It exercises total mind control of its followers and demands total obedience from them. Falun Gong practices intolerance and encourages confrontation and racial hatred.  For instance, Li Hongzhi, the founder of the cult, has said that Hitler's killing of Jews was the natural result of movement of the universe and that homosexuals are no different from murderers and drug takers.

Falun Gong rejects medication as a treatment of illness. Li alleges that one can cure oneself of illness just by practicing Falun Gong without the need to take any medicine. It is prone to violence and condones suicide and maiming.

Q: Why do you believe that Falun Gong is dangerous to the public?

A: Influenced by Falun Gong heresy, an alarmingly large number of Falun Gong followers have become mentally deranged. At least 1,700 Falun Gong followers in China have committed suicide, self-maiming, self-immolation and killed their beloved ones. The tragic thing is that in doing so, they believe that they were achieving fulfillment, as preached by Li Hongzhi. All these cases are well documented.

Q: Is it true that thousands of Falun Gong followers have been jailed for believing it?

A: No one in China is jailed simply because he or she practices Falun Gong in the backyard. Only a small number of   core Falun Gong fanatics who undermine law and order are dealt with according to law.

Q: Why do you react so strongly to a Falun Gong poster in the Auckland International Airport?

A: That poster is deeply offensive to the 70,000 Chinese visitors who come to New Zealand. They come to visit a beautiful and hospitality country, not to be greeted by the poster of an evil cult which they abhor right on their arrival. This cult poster also tarnishes New Zealand's international reputation.

Q: What is your comment on the view that in opposing the Falun Gong poster, China, as a big country, is bullying a small country of New Zealand?

A: We are simply registering our grave concern about the calculated attempt by Falun Gong to mislead and deceive the public in New Zealand. In doing so, we are exercising our freedom of speech. The Chinese Embassy has the greatest respect for New Zealand and its people and does not have the slightest intention to interfere in its internal affairs.