User "Xiaozhoutian" wished for peace in Paris and safety for all her friends in the city.

Many posted images of candles to mourn the victims on Weibo.

Following the shooting at Charlie Hebdo, a post went viral on another popular social media platform, Weixin, listing the magazine's Islam-themed cartoons, which might be interpreted as blasphemy.

Soon afterwards, another Weixin post by Xinhua International, a digital media account of Xinhua News Agency, pointed out that the bloodshed was not caused by cartoons, but by an extremist mindset.

"The cartoons of this magazine did trigger controversy, protests and even lawsuits in the past. However, those responses were all peaceful," the post said. "Retaliation with terrorist attacks is inexcusable and deplorable."

The Communist Party of China-run Global Times asserted its "unconditional" opposition to terror and violence in an editorial carried on Friday.

A Chinese anti-terror expert suggested European countries promote mutual tolerance among diverse cultures based on a deeper understanding of Islamic culture.

"Only tolerance of each other's cultures can address the root causes of terrorism," Li was quoted by the People's Daily overseas edition as saying on Saturday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed deep grief for the loss of lives and extended sincere condolences to the injured and the families of those killed in a message to his French counterpart, Francois Hollande.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said that China firmly opposes all forms of terrorism and supports French efforts to protect domestic security.