HONG KONG (AP)--The Falun Gong spiritual sect said Tuesday it will protest during a visit next month by Chinese President Jiang Zemin, and pro-Beijing forces immediately criticized what they called a calculated attempt to embarrass China. Falun Gong intends to air its complaints about mainland China's often-brutal crackdown outside a business conference here also to be attended by former U.S. President Bill Clinton. "We hope to take this opportunity to tell them about Falun Gong," said Kan Hung-cheung, a local spokesman for the sect that is outlawed and branded an "evil cult" in mainland China. "We hope they will be concerned with this matter and help us to stop the crackdown." Falun Gong is legal in Hong Kong, which continues to enjoy Western-style freedoms of speech and religion almost four years after Britain returned its former colony to China. But Beijing's allies among Hong Kong politicians and newspapers have been infuriated in the past at what they call Falun Gong's abuse of its local freedoms to attack Chinese policy, right on Chinese soil. Ma Lik, secretary general of Hong Kong's largest Beijing-aligned political party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, said Falun Gong is aiming to "advertise itself and to embarrass Jiang Zemin." "They shouldn't do this," said Ma, who also is a representative to the Chinese National People's Congress. "They are not clever. It will not serve them or do Hong Kong any good if they use Hong Kong to do this." Ma added in a telephone interview that it will be "disadvantageous" to Falun Gong's activities here if the protests stop Jiang from visiting Hong Kong or disturb Jiang's route during the visit. Kan said Falun Gong's protest schedule hasn't been finalized, but it is planning a series of activities including a peaceful demonstration, mass meditation exercises, outdoor and indoor exhibitions and the distribution of leaflets. Kan said the activities - coinciding with a Fortune magazine conference on May 8-10 to be attended by Jiang and Clinton - are expected to attract Falun Gong members from Japan, Singapore and Taiwan, and as far away as Australia, Europe, Canada and the U.S. Falun Gong hasn't yet found a venue for its exhibition, although it has complained previously that some local hotels have refused to rent any space to the sect. The group stirred a major local controversy in January by hiring a venue in Hong Kong City Hall to host an event at which participants accused authorities of carrying out the torture-killings of Falun Gong adherents in mainland China. Pro-Beijing lawmaker Yeung Yiu-chung said any of the sect's activities here wouldn't be "showing the truth to the world, but they would be an embarrassment to China." The Hong Kong government didn't immediately return a reporter's phone calls inquiring about the planned protest. As Beijing's local allies have clamored for a clampdown on Falun Gong activities here, Hong Kong officials have said they will closely monitor the group, but they have stopped short of taking any actions against the sect. Wiping out Falun Gong remains a priority in mainland China, and local pro-democracy advocates say Hong Kong's handling of the Falun Gong issue could be a crucial test of local freedoms.