A French Macronist senator’s ties to the Chinese authorities have been questioned by the newspaper Tie-Duck. The newspaper reveals that his Chinese companion’s company lost a lawsuit in China and that Beijing provided “selfless” support to turn it around. The newspaper also implied that the senator’s sensitive status as a member of the Senate Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee and Vice President of the NATO General Assembly had been targeted by French intelligence.
The latest issue of the French satirical weekly newspaper, Le Duck Tie, published an investigative piece on Wednesday questioning a French senator’s ties to Chinese authorities, suggesting that his wealthy Chinese business partner was able to turn the case around and escape financial difficulties with the help of Beijing authorities after his company lost a court case that was ruled fraudulent.
The investigative article in The Duck Tie was titled “Beijing’s ‘Selfless’ Support for Macronist Senators. The article refers to French Senator Philippe Friault’s 180-degree turnaround in recent years in his stance against the communist regime in Beijing. The newspaper implied that the senator’s change of heart was related to the influence of his Chinese companion. It notes that the senator was present during Hu Jintao’s speech to the French parliament in 2004 and hosted a special envoy of the Dalai Lama in 2013 to show his support for the Tibetan people. In recent years, however, he has shifted from an anti-communist stance to a belief in the benefits of the Xi Jinping regime.
Letter to Wang Yi
The newspaper also publishes a portion of his letter to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, dated November 17, in which he expresses his gratitude for the reversal of the lawsuit against his female companion. The newspaper also revealed that the congressman’s Chinese companion had held a festival of lights in France and invested in real estate projects. The mayor of Gaillac, P. Gausserand, who led the projects, was later summarily disenfranchised by the court on charges of passive bribery.
According to the Tie-Duck article, the senator’s rebellion was followed by frequent trips to China, where he was greeted with “open arms. The article also implies that the cost of his December 3 trip to Shanghai was paid for by the Deheng Law Firm, a prominent pro-Chinese Communist Party law firm in Beijing.
Intelligence Systems Targeting
The article reveals the senator’s sensitive status: as an expert on defense issues, he is not only a member of the French Senate’s Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Forces Committee, but also a vice-president of the NATO General Assembly. He is also on the radar of the French intelligence system.
According to the French website Lejournaldici, Senator Furio denies that he has any secret ties to Beijing, and he denies that his Chinese companion’s company was helped by the Chinese authorities in the reversal of its lawsuit. He also denied that the expenses for the trip to Shanghai were provided by the Deheng law firm in Beijing. He said that was because a Chinese person was required to provide a certificate of reception to obtain a visa to China.
Recent Comments