A joint declaration on cultural heritage released by Chinese and French governments on Wednesday in Beijing will launch the cooperative renovation of Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral, the roof of which was destroyed in a fire in April.
The rector of Notre Dame Cathedral says the Paris landmark is still so fragile that there's a "50% chance" the structure might not be saved, because scaffolding installed before the April fire is threatening the vaults of the Gothic monument.
Monsignor Patrick Chauvet said restoration work isn't likely to begin until 2021.
"Today it is not out of danger," he said. "It will be out of danger when we take out the remaining scaffolding."
Chauvet estimated it would take another three years after that to make it safe enough for people to re-enter the cathedral, but that the full restoration will take longer.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said he wants it rebuilt by 2024, when Paris hosts the Olympics, but experts have questioned whether that time frame is realistic.
If Notre Dame had installed smoke detectors, perhaps the cultural heritage would not have suffered so much.
