The United States categorically denied Thursday having bought masks from France for China after accusations launched by several French politicians. "The United States government has not purchased any masks to be delivered by China to France," a senior US administration official told AFP. "The information claiming otherwise is completely false," the official added on condition of anonymity.
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The president of the Paris region of Ile-de-France, Valérie Pécresse, assured Thursday to have lost a load of Chinese masks for the benefit of Americans who had "outbid" to get it. The elected official did not specify which entities, public or private, represented these buyers. A few days ago, the presidents of two other French regions had already denounced similar practices on the part of American buyers, without further details on their identity.
