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Lu Shaye, China's ambassador to France
Photo: MARTIN BUREAU / AFP
France has called in Lu Shaye, the Chinese ambassador in Paris.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the diplomat of "unacceptable" statements, it said.
On Twitter, the Chinese embassy in Paris assumed an "anti-Chinese" attitude towards a French researcher and described him as a "little crook".
In addition, the ambassador had reportedly sharply criticized French parliamentarians who wanted to travel to Taiwan.
Lu Shaye initially did not follow the request for a clarifying discussion on Monday.
The French Foreign Ministry accuses him of "insults and threats", especially against the China expert Antoine Bondaz from the Foundation for Strategic Studies (FRS).
Bondaz had complained on Twitter of the pressure from China on French parliamentarians who wanted to travel to Taiwan.
The People's Republic regards Taiwan as a breakaway province.
According to the ministry, France also wanted to make clear to the Chinese ambassador that it was unhappy with the sanctions Beijing has imposed on scientists and parliamentarians from the EU.
This was done in response to the EU sanctions over the Chinese actions against the Muslim Uyghur minority.
as / AFP