Public statements that do not pass. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian summoned the Chinese ambassador to France on Tuesday to express his "disapproval" of "certain recent comments" related to the new coronavirus, he announced. in a press release.
"I made clear my disapproval of certain recent remarks to the ambassador of the People's Republic of China to France, when he was summoned to the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, this Tuesday, April 14 in the morning," said the head of French diplomacy.
"Some recent public statements by representatives of the Chinese embassy in France do not conform to the quality of the bilateral relationship between our two countries," deplores the minister, referring to the uninhibited campaign waged by this embassy to boast the "victory" of the Chinese government in its battle against the coronavirus and criticize the Western management of this epidemic.
Criticism of the staff of the nursing homes
Sunday, the Chinese embassy in France published on its site a long text entitled "Restore distorted facts - Observations of a Chinese diplomat stationed in Paris".
Westerners are accused in particular of unfairly denigrating China after calling Covid-19 disease "flu" at the start of the epidemic and the Americans are criticized for having dismissed the commander of an aircraft carrier whose crew is contaminated.
The text also accuses - without providing evidence - the French nursing staff of establishments for the elderly (Ehpad) of having "abandoned their posts overnight [...] leaving their residents to die of hunger and disease".
“Covid-19 is a pandemic that affects all continents and all societies. Faced with the virus and its consequences on our economies, there is no room for controversy and France is working resolutely in favor of unity, solidarity and greater international cooperation, "said the French Minister of Business on Tuesday. foreign in its press release.
Asian countries, including China, have been particularly successful in their fight against Covid-19 because they have this sense of community and good citizenship that is lacking in Western democracies. 8/15
- Chinese Embassy in France (@AmbassadeChine) March 27, 2020Political Newsletter
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The Chinese Embassy was also noted for its many provocative tweets. In late March, the regime claimed that "Asian countries, including China, have been particularly successful in their fight against the Covid-19 because they have this sense of community and good citizenship that is lacking in Western democracies". A communication which was, then, assumed by the embassy.