Chinese denounce terror following deadly attacks in Paris

BEIJING - After a spate of deadly attacks rocked Paris, Chinese authorities and citizens mourned the victims and denounced terrorism.

The city suffered two shootings and one hostage situation over the course of three days, resulting in 17 dead. The gunmen responsible were associated with an Islamist group.

In the most deadly assault, gunmen shot dead 12 people at the office of the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, including the magazine's editor, celebrated cartoonists and two policemen, and injured 11 others.

French President Francois Hollande on Wednesday called the shooting an act of terror.

The horrible tragedy also drew sympathy and condemnation of terrorism from Chinese authorities, media and the common people.

After the attack, the front page of the magazine's official website featured the French words "I am Charlie" in bold characters against a black background to mourn the victims.

After learning the news, Chinese Internet users also used the phrase to express solidarity with the victims.

An Internet user called "Yingxiang" said on the microblog Weibo that the incidents marked a showdown between terrorism and anti-terror forces, and was a true test of human conscience. "Therefore, today all of humanity is Charlie," the blogger wrote.

Another Weibo blogger, "MAX, a bilingual moderator," said it was a shame there was no Chinese version of the phrase "I am Charlie" on the magazine's official website, but said the Chinese people would like to voice the sentiment from the bottom of their hearts.