China has expressed regret over the cancellation of a visit by the US government's religious rights monitor, which said it was protesting what it called "unacceptable" restrictions imposed by Beijing.
China's foreign ministry put the cancellation down to "technical reasons" and said it hoped the trip could be rescheduled.
"China expresses regret and is willing to maintain contact with the committee on religious issues and other issues on the basis of equality and mutual respect," a foreign ministry spokesman told AFP.
"In order to promote Sino-American religious exchanges China welcomes the visit by the committee at the proper time."
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom pulled out of the trip at the last minute complaining of restrictions on its movements.
"The US Commission on International Religious Freedom ... is disappointed that a scheduled visit to China in early August 2003 could not proceed as planned due to unacceptable last-minute conditions imposed upon (its) visit by the Chinese government," it said.
The commission complained that two weeks ago Chinese authorities had demanded that Hong Kong be dropped from the itinerary and that only days before the trip they had still not confirmed meetings with senior officials.
"Nor did the commission receive assurances it would be able to visit prominent religious houses of worship and meet privately with religious leaders," it said in a statement from Washington.
Negotiations for the trip had been underway since February and the commission said it had made clear that a visit to Hong Kong, which reverted to Chinese rule in 1997, was "integral" to its tour.
Beijing's "insistance" that the commission not visit Hong Kong raises questions about China giving the former British territory substantial independence under its "one country, two systems" policy, it said.
The commission, created by the 1998 US International Religious Freedom Act to give independent recommendations to the executive branch and Congress, is an autonomous federal agency that has been highly critical of China in the past.
It has regularly identified China as a leading violator of religious freedoms, accusing Beijing of torturing, imprisoning and mistreating Protestant, Catholic and Tibetan Buddhist believers.
It has also taken issue with Beijing's crackdown on followers of the Falungong spiritual group.
China officially allows places of worship to operate if they are registered with the state and adhere to state mandates on religion.
But millions worship at unofficial churches, some of which are tolerated more than others.