China lodged a protest with the French government Monday for allowing pro-democracy Chinese dissidents to meet in Paris and form a group dedicated to ending communism in their homeland.
"It is indeed a rare case in international relations that the government of a country brazenly supports activities on its territory by a handful of foreigners aimed at opposing and subverting the government of a foreign country," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.The statement came after a meeting between a ministry official and French Ambassador to China Charles Marlo in which China expressed its "profound indignation" to France.
China's sharp response followed a three-day inaugural meeting in Paris of the Federation of Democracy in China. During the meeting, pro-democracy delegates from 15 countries elected dissident political scientist Yan Jiaqi and student activist Wu'er Kaixi as chairman and vice chairman of the new group.