The Foreign Ministry Thursday hit out at calls to boycott the Beijing Olympics over China's support for the Sudanese government.

Speaking at a press briefing spokesman Qin Gang reiterated China's hope that peace will be found in Darfur.

On this issue, China shares the same goal as the international community and is making unremitting efforts to this end, he said.

He said China hopes efforts by the international community can improve the humanitarian situation in Darfur and help realize a lasting peace and stability in the region.

"We don't think it's appropriate to connect Darfur with the Beijing Olympic Games," he said in response to a Wall Street Journal editorial on Wednesday which called for a boycott of the Games over China's support for the government of Sudan.

"People who try to connect Darfur with the Olympics in an attempt to win ballots or increase their reputation are totally mistaken," he said.

"We are confident we will hold a successful and high-quality Olympics."

RMB appreciation

Qin yesterday also called for the US to increase communication with China over currency exchange rates, rather than resorting to threats.

"We need both countries to follow a principle of mutual respect, to increase understanding and to strengthen communication, rather than resorting to pressure or threats," he said in response to questions about US senators' initiative to force China to allow greater RMB appreciation.

US senators Charles Schumer and Lindsey Graham said on Tuesday that they would carefully draft a bill, in accordance with World Trade Organization rules, to force the Chinese currency to appreciate.

Some American economists believe the massive trade surplus between China and the US is due in large part to a low RMB exchange rate.

But Qin questioned the belief. "It is not reasonable or fair to blame China for problems in the US economy," he said.

He also asked why a country with a market economy would try to adopt an "interventionist attitude" when it came to the policies of other countries.

"Should China's policies reflect its own market or the voices of people in another country?" he asked.