PRESIDENT Bush made his first explicitly critical comments about China yesterday as tension between the two countries continued to escalate over a series of disputes. In a speech in Washington, Mr Bush initially praised Beijing for making strides towards freedom before attacking the regime for its attitude towards religion. "[The] Chinese government continues to display an unreasonable and unworthy suspicion of freedom of conscience," said Mr Bush. "The Chinese government restricts independent religious expression." He concentrated particular fire on Beijing's treatment of the Falun Gong, a meditative spiritual movement whose members have been "singled out for arrest and abuse". Mr Bush said: "China aspires to national strength and greatness, but these acts of persecution are acts of fear and therefore of weakness. This persecution is unworthy of all that China has been, a civilisation with a history of tolerance." [...]