Envoy brief on meeting dismissed

France continued to defend President Nicolas Sarkozy's meeting with the Dalai Lama last week, saying it did not intend to offend China, but Beijing dismissed the argument because it is not enough to "resolve the crisis".

"China (has) said France should take full responsibility for the sour relations, but we can't agree with that," France's ambassador to China Herve Ladsous told reporters at the embassy yesterday.

Maintaining his tough stance, Ladsous said China has "over-reacted". He, however, hinted that his government might send special envoys or arrange high-level meetings with China to help break the impasse.