French media takes China to task reflecting sentiments in key European power

NEW DELHI: The French media has been critical of China and way Covid has spread after originating from China. Rarely a day passes without critical reports on China in French media.

‘The Great Chinese Lie’ was the title of Le Figaro Magazine’s recent cover story illustrated by a photograph of President Xi Jinping wearing a surgical mask and wagging his finger.

French commentators initially praised the ability of China’s regime to impose lockdown to fight Covid.


But the French mood changed in late March, says Marc Julienne, China researcher at the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI).

Le Figaro, one of France's most popular newspapers, held China responsible for the serious contagion in the European country.

In an article, author Isabelle Lasserre pulled up Wuhan's P4 virology laboratory for loose management, indicating the lab might be the origin of the novel coronavirus. The French newspaper had alleged China tried to cover up the coronavirus emergency as well as the scale of the outbreak and lied about the death toll.

Taiwan’s Vice President Chen Chien-jen, an epidemiologist by training, told FRANCE 24 that he thinks Beijing underreported China’s number of cases.

Chen has refused to rule out the "possibility" that the coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory in Wuhan. He also expressed concern about a second wave of the virus appearing in autumn or winter.

On April 14, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian summoned China’s ambassador, Lu Shaye, over a coronavirus fake news article on the Chinese embassy website.

“China thought it was coming out on top from the crisis by sending planes with face masks and medical equipment. Beijing thought it could reap the benefits from being the only power with the capability for this. It’s a very weird thing that it has instead provoked a backlash,” FRANCE 24 quoted Pierre Haski, a veteran French journalist and longtime former Beijing correspondent and editor of the book, “The Diary of Ma Yan” as saying.