China executes Frenchman convicted in 2010 for drug trafficking
China’s national flag flutters in the wind in Beijing, China, on Nov 20, 2025. (File photo: Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)
PARIS: A Frenchman sentenced to death in China in 2010 for drug trafficking has been executed, France's foreign ministry announced on Saturday (Apr 4), expressing its "consternation".
Chan Thao Phoumy, a 62-year-old Frenchman born in Laos, was executed, "despite the efforts of the French authorities, including efforts to obtain a pardon on humanitarian grounds for our compatriot", said a ministry statement.
His defence team did not get access to the final court hearing, in violations of his rights, the ministry added. The sentence was carried out in Guangzhou, in the south of the country.
The ministry reaffirmed France's opposition to the death penalty "everywhere and in all circumstances" and called for "its universal abolition".
China's foreign ministry did not comment on the specifics of the case when asked on Sunday about the execution.
"Cracking down on drug-related crime is a shared responsibility of all countries," a statement provided to AFP said.
China "treats defendants of different nationalities equally, handles cases strictly and fairly in accordance with the law and protects the lawful rights and treatment of the parties involved", it said.
