Li Hongzhi and his Falun Gong cult aim to topple the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), by creating chaos and social disorder, disturbing the daily life of the people, and hampering the country's economic development, according to our Daily.

The Chinese government is determined to disband the cult in order to safeguard the fundamental interests of the people and consolidate the economic and social progress achieved since the reform, opening and modernization drive was launched two decades ago, the paper says in a commentary published Saturday, January 20.

The commentary, entitled "To Safeguard Stability Is to Safeguard the Fundamental Interests of the People," quotes late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping as saying, "Without a stable environment, we could achieve nothing and would even lose what we have achieved."

In his report to the 15th National CPC Congress, General Secretary Jiang Zemin also stressed the importance of correctly handling the relationship between reform, development and stability, the commentary says.

This year is the first year of the new century and the beginning for China to implement its 10th five-year plan (2001- 2005), the paper says, urging that people to safeguard social stability.

It says that whenever China's development enters a new stage, anti-China forces in the West would try every means to create trouble. Li Hongzhi and Falun Gong are the political tools of those hostile forces.

The Chinese people are looking forward to spending a happy and peaceful Spring Festival, the traditional New Year of the Chinese nation, the article says. It warns Falun Gong followers to not become tools of Li for disturbing social stability.

If Li and the cult continue to be hostile against the people, attempting to cause trouble during the festival, they would only further expose their evil motives and would not succeed, the commentary says.

(People's daily 2001/01/20)