French ambassador urges caution in recovery

By Chen Boyuan
0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, November 18, 2015
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French Ambassador to China Maurice Gourdault-Montagne [Photo by Chen Boyuan, China.org.cn]

French Ambassador to China Maurice Gourdault-Montagne has urged a sober approach in the wake of the Nov. 13 "Black Friday" terrorist attacks in Paris, saying France would not adopt self-isolation because of the attacks.

In a press conference on Tuesday in Beijing, he said the top priority for the French government was to break down the network of ISIS, responsible for the attacks that claimed 132 lives.

"We believe these attacks were carefully planned; this is why we must strike this group hard to prevent future attacks," he said.

At the same time, the ambassador reiterated that while the attacks had brought different nations closer in joint anti-terrorism efforts, people should make a clear distinction between Islam and the religious extremism that fueled terrorism.

As of Tuesday, 15 of the confirmed 132 dead had not been identified. The victims were from 19 countries spread over five continents. In addition, another 300 people were injured, including 76 still in critical condition.

Among the injured was a young female Chinese student. Gourdault-Montagne said her condition has been stabilized and advised concerned Chinese people to check for information at the website of the Chinese Embassy in France. France is keeping close contact with all countries whose citizens fell victim of the attacks, he added.

The latest attacks in Paris raised public concerns about the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP 21), scheduled to be be held in the French capital from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11. Gourdault-Montagne said the conference would be held as scheduled, and world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and the U.S. President Barack Obama, had all reconfirmed their attendance after the attacks.

The ambassador said that all planned negotiations on climate change would be unaffected, but added that the French Prime Minister Manuel Valls had cancelled a series of peripheral activities, such as concerts, due to security concerns.

"France is willing to join hands with China to shape a future. We won't stop going forward because of terrorism threat. We will move on because life will move on," he said.

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