Chinese authorities said they were not renewing press credentials for Ursula Gauthier, a Beijing-based correspondent for French magazine L'Obs since 2009, as her article "blatantly championed acts of terrorism and slaughter of innocent civilians."

In her article, Gauthier questioned China's "ulterior motives" in standing in solidarity with France after the deadly Paris terror attacks in November, which, according to her, are to justify its ethnic policy in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

Gauthier cited the condolence notes left by Chinese people at the French embassy in Beijing after the attacks.

But that's only part of the picture. In the online world, there was strong criticism from Chinese netizens of the West's double standards in dealing with terrorism - showing sympathy to brutal terror perpetrators in China. At the official level, Chinese government chose to stand by the French people.

However, many Chinese people continue to wonder whether we are repaying brutality with kindness. Sympathetic words for attackers in Paris cannot be found in Chinese mainstream media.

In an editorial, L'Obs claimed that Gauthier's eviction "represented a 'major incident' at a time when France and China were strengthening their economic, cultural and diplomatic ties." L'Obs seems to think that China holds the sole responsibility for maintaining Sino-French relationship, while French media can make comments on China at will under the excuse of freedom of speech, and don't need to be responsible for the consequences.

Can Sino-French ties withstand this incident? It's hoped majority people in both societies hold rational view toward terrorism.

The world has been in shock over some French media's bigoted attitude toward freedom of speech. The satirical cartoon in the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, which was considered as blaspheming Prophet Mohammed, led to the bloody attack on the magazine in January. The tragedy was supposed to prompt some soul-searching among French media, but is it happening?

Chinese media always denounces terrorism. But the Western media prides itself on endorsing the freedom of speech and so-called objective reports. The ideological bias embedded in such values makes these media see China's anti-terror efforts through a twisted lens.

Terrorism is the common enemy of all mankind, and the extreme views of people like Gauthier are ripping apart the world's anti-terrorism mission.