Paris councillor criticizes hanging of Tibetan flag in front of City Hall

Source: Xinhua | 03-11-2009 11:10

PARIS, March 10 (Xinhua) -- Alain Destrem, a councillor, on Tuesday criticized the Paris City Council's motion to hang a Tibetan flag in front of the City Hall, which he said would harm China-French relations.

Paris councillor Alain Destrem (2nd R) speaks in front of  the City Hall in Paris, March 10, 2009. Destrem condemned  on Tuesday the hanging of the so-called "Tibet independence"  flag in front of the Paris City Hall on March 10 every year,  which rampantly intervenes in China's internal affairs and  hurts the feelings of the Chinese people.(Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)

In January 2006, the council adopted a motion to hang a Tibetan flag every March 10.

"The motion could only end in two results: hurting the Chinese people's feelings and feeding the French press," Destrem, who is also vice president of the ruling UMP party, said during a council debate.