"Every government in the world has the obligation and responsibility to act according to international law and laws governing international relations to stop any individuals or organizations, be it the Falungong or other groups, from disrupting the normal work of China's diplomatic missions in Australia," said Shen Guofang, assistant minister of foreign affairs.

"We hope relevant international standards could be abided by. And we will remain in close touch with relevant agencies in Australia."

Shen was speaking at a press conference at the end of the annual human rights dialogue between China and Australia.

Members of the quasi-religious Falungong group regularly gather outside Chinese embassies and consulates overseas to protest against Beijing's crackdown on the group.

China outlawed the group as an "evil cult" in 1999 and has since detained or imprisoned tens of thousands of members. The group says its members are tortured for refusing to give up their beliefs.

Geoff Raby, deputy secretary of Australia's department of foreign affairs and trade, declined to say whether he sought clarification from China of claims by a Chinese asylum-seeker in Australia that Chinese agents carry out close surveillance on Falungong members there.

Chen Yonglin, who quit as first secretary at the Chinese consulate in Sydney in late May, said the mission often confiscated Falungong members' passports and had kidnapped and deported Chinese nationals.

Raby declined to say whether he raised Chen's case with China.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Monday that officials would not discuss the case.

"The law in Australia says that these matters would be considered by the immigration department and we wouldn't consider raising it, such a concept with the Chinese, we wouldn't say anything one way or the other about it until the application for the protection visa has been determined," Downer said.

Chen was rebuffed in his initial application for asylum within 24 hours. He later applied for a protection visa to remain in the country and is still awaiting for the outcome.

The case has prompted criticism that the Australian government has placed burgeoning trade relations with China ahead of human rights concerns.

Raby said he raised 36 cases of human rights concerns, including those involving ethnic minority Tibetans and Uighurs, with China, five cases more than last year.

He declined to name them.

Other issues touched upon included the rights of women, children and minorities, China's one-child policy and the rights of HIV/AIDS patients. The dialogue is the ninth annual rights discussion between the two countries.

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