HONG KONG, March 6 (Kyodo) - Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen told Hong Kong advisers in Beijing on Tuesday that the territory should guard against the Falun Gong movement turning Hong Kong into an anti-China base.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, meanwhile, said his administration will take preventive measures against trouble and will closely monitor the activities of the Buddhist-oriented spiritual exercise movement in the territory.
But he denied he is under pressure from Beijing to suppress the Falun Gong in Hong Kong.
The movement has been outlawed in China, but is still allowed to be practiced in Hong Kong as long as its followers abide by the territory's law under the ''one country, two systems.''
Yet Chinese officials and pro-Beijing figures in Hong Kong have called for more measures to stop the Falun Gong in the territory, which has raised public concern the territory's freedom of belief will be undermined.
Local television news reports quoted Hong Kong members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference as saying Qian initiated talk about the Falun Gong issue during their meeting in Beijing on Tuesday.
Qian reportedly said the Chinese central government has branded the Falun Gong an evil cult.
Earlier Tuesday, Tung insisted there is no pressure from the Chinese leadership on him to crack down the Falun Gong.
But Tung told reporters Chinese President Jiang Zemin clearly indicated the Hong Kong Falun Gong is an issue for the territory. They met in Beijing on Monday.
Tung added he came to ''know more'' about Falun Gong and the ''great deal of harm'' the movement allegedly caused in China during his stay in Beijing.
Tung was speaking to reporters in Beijing before leaving for Hong Kong after attending the opening session of the National People's Congress and meeting with Jiang.
AP-NY-03-06-01 0700EST
Copyright 2001 The Kyodo News Service.