BEIJING (CP) - China criticized Canada today for accepting asylum requests from Chinese illegal immigrants who arrived by ship this summer, saying that even considering them would only encourage more violators.

China would not accept Canada's decision to accept applications for refugee status by some of the migrants, Foreign MInistry spokesman Sun Yuxi told reporters at a weekly news briefing.

``There is no political persecution in China,'' Sun said. ``Most of these migrants are farmers. They are not political refugees.''

A total of 444 Chinese arrived in British Columbia this summer packed onto three decrepit freighters. Canadian officials said two of the boats were bound for the United States.

Canada is considering asylum requests from a handful of the migrants.

``Repatriation of the whole boat and the whole batch (of migrants) is the best way to shatter their unrealistic expectations,'' Sun said. ``If Canada rejects their applications for asylum, this will help to crack down on illegal immigration.'' Attacking human rights conditions and calling China the biggest supplier of illegal immigrants to Canada was ``groundless exaggeration just to scare people,'' he said.

The Editor, Toronto Strar.

Dear Sir:

Regarding the news story "Reject Asylum Requests China Urges," (Toronto Star, September 7, 1999), as a lifelong anti-communist, I tend to be very skeptical of statements from Beijing.

However, their advice in this case is spot on: ``Repatriation of the whole boat and the whole batch (of migrants) is the best way to shatter their unrealistic expectations. If Canada rejects their applications for asylum, this will help to crack down on illegal immigration.''

The notion that these people are genuine political refugees is preposterous. Why travel all the way to North America and enslave themselves to the tune of $38,000 U.S. to snakehead gangsters, when there is a progressive, democratic anti-communist Chinese alternative right acrtoss the Formosa Straits in the island of Taiwan?

As the Chinese government says, these are rural folk. They are economic opportunists, not refugees. Canada will not secure its borders or stop its complicity with this ugly trade in human flesh until we send the word forth: The only way to come to Canada as an immigrant or refugee is to apply and be vetted abroad. Remove the hope of being able to sneak in here and stay and we'll remove the incentive to come here illegally.

To accomplish this, Parliament will have to screw up its courage and use the "notwithstanding" clause of the constitution to regain control of our borders from the out-of-touch and unelected courts.