(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-04-03 22:29

BEIJING - China on Thursday said it hoped that other countries would take an objective, fair view of events in Lhasa and understand its legal measures to halt violent crimes.

Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Jiang Yu made the remarks in response to reports that France has threatened to withdraw police from the Paris embassy as a protest against comments by a Chinese diplomat, who likened China's handling of the violence in Lhasa to France's curbing of domestic unrest.

The reports also said that the Chinese ambassador to France offered an apology and expressed the hope that police would continue to safeguard the embassy.

Jiang said that the reports did not conform to the facts, adding that the Lhasa riots were not "peaceful demonstrations" but violent crimes.

China therefore hoped that relevant countries could respect the facts, take an objective attitude, and understand and support China's legal measures on the issue, Jiang said.

Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, any signatory country must safeguard foreign diplomatic missions and personnel, Jiang said.