Xi condemns 'barbaric acts' and offers condolences

President Xi Jinping strongly condemned the terrorist attacks in Paris in Nov 13 in which at least 129 people were killed, and called on the world to work together to counter terrorism.

The attacks in Paris once again demonstrated the importance of working together, he said.

"At this sorrowful moment for the French people, I, on behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, and personally, condemn in the strongest terms the barbaric acts," Xi said in a message of condolence to his French counterpart, Francois Hollande.

More than 350 were injured in the attacks, 99 of them seriously, said the Paris prosecutor, Francois Molins.

A Chinese national was slightly injured in the attacks, the Chinese embassy in Paris said. Embassy staff visited the young woman in hospital and reported that she was recovering after treatment.

Liu Zheng, who works for Pro-Health (China), a healthcare product company, was among more than 1,200 employees of the company in Paris on the night of the attacks.

"It was the biggest Chinese tour group in Paris on Friday," Liu said, adding that they had dinner in a Chinese restaurant close to the Bataclan Concert Hall, where 89 music fans were killed.

"The group is very big, and it was lucky police were patrolling outside the restaurant So most people in the group were calm after the Bataclan attack. We heard all the sirens as we were heading back to our hotel."

Wu Changhong, a Chinese who lives in Paris, said he heard the sounds of the police response at his office, three minutes' walk from one of the shootings. He helped a Chinese woman, also working in the city, to safety in her office, he said.

The woman, Zhang Xuanchi, said she had dined at a restaurant near where one of the terrorist shootings had taken place.

"There was a lot of screaming and noise, and terrified people were running into the restaurant to seek cover. There was this little French girl who was howling as she and her mother got inside."

Zhang Lingfei and a friend, both of whom are Chinese studying in London, said they had talked excitedly about the days ahead before they arrived in Paris just hours before the attacks.

They had dinner in an eatery close to a Cambodian restaurant and a bar across the road that were attacked by terrorists, and in which 15 people were shot dead.

"At first when one of the staff at the restaurant told us there had been a shooting in a nearby restaurant, we weren't that concerned," Zhang said.

"But through the window I saw people running along the road, and some headed into shop or restaurants. We then realized how serious this was, pulled away from the window and threw ourselves to the ground with other customers and staff.

"We heard loud bangs that sounded like gunshots, and we were very nervous. There were still people outside running down the street. A few people knocked on the restaurant door, but before the manager could unlock it they took off."

Staff turned the lights off as a precaution, she said.

"Everybody was in a kind of, I would say, utter shock. It's hard to say how long we hid in the restaurant, but as more and more police turned up we got out."

She and her friend had to walk a long way to their hotel because they could not find a taxi, and the nearby metro station was closed, she said.

The attacks sent shockwaves through China's tourist industry, Paris being one of the most favored destinations in Europe among Chinese travelers.

Zhao Wen, a communications specialist in Shanghai, said: "My husband and I made plans to visit Paris early next year, but we have changed our minds because of the attacks."

Jiang Wentao, who works for a trading company in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, said: "We have cancelled our trip to Europe next month, which was to inlcude three days in the French capital."

Wei Shunliand, a housewife in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, said: "I'm sticking with my plan to visit Paris on Nov 19. I believe the French government will do all it can to ensure our safety."

Flights between China and France ran normally during the weekend after the attack, said Ding Qi, general manager of Air China in France and Belgium.

The Chinese travel company Ctrip said it was trying to reach about 400 customers who had planned to stop over in Paris but have returned to China.

(China Daily European Weekly 11/20/2015 page4)