"There is absolutely no such consensus," Kong Quan, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said, according to the state-run New China news agency.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Kong Quan, defended the police action as part of the war on terrorism.

But a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman told The Associated Press today that he was not there.

"We haven't heard of this," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said when asked to comment on the population fund's plans.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman described the report on Feb. 7 as "an unscrupulous interference in the internal affairs of many countries".

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said he had no immediate comment on the opening of the office.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said shortly afterward that China would not let other countries interfere in its domestic policy.

"We deeply regret new tensions arising in the gulf," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Without directly answering the charge, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said China was producing gas in an area that was not in dispute.

Kong Quan, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, said Beijing wanted a peaceful outcome.