By Ginika Igboke
The French government has expressed strong concern following China’s execution of a French national who had spent more than two decades in prison after being convicted of drug-related offenses.
In a statement released on April 4, France’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Chinese authorities executed Chan Thao Phoumy, a 62-year-old French citizen who had been sentenced to death in 2010 for drug trafficking. The government said it had repeatedly appealed for clemency, including a request for a humanitarian pardon, but those efforts were unsuccessful.
Beijing Defends Decision Amid Diplomatic Tension
China’s embassy in France defended the execution in a statement issued on April 5, emphasizing the country’s strict enforcement of drug laws. Officials said that penalties are applied equally regardless of nationality and maintained that the punishment was consistent with Chinese law.
There has been some uncertainty surrounding the man’s background. French media outlets reported that he was a French citizen born in Laos, while Chinese state media identified his birthplace as Guangzhou, a major city in southern China.
Long Legal Process and Escalating Charges
Chan was first arrested in early 2005 along with dozens of others on suspicion of involvement in a large-scale drug trafficking network that transported narcotics from Southeast Asia into China.
He was initially sentenced to life imprisonment in 2007 for drug smuggling and trafficking. However, in 2010, a court in Guangzhou ordered a retrial after new evidence emerged, adding charges related to drug manufacturing.
Later that year, Chan was sentenced to death. Authorities alleged that he had used precursor chemicals to produce synthetic drugs, including methamphetamine, between 1999 and 2003.
France’s Foreign Ministry criticized the legal proceedings, stating that Chan’s defense team was denied access to his final court hearing—an action it described as a violation of his rights.
France Reaffirms Opposition to Death Penalty
In its statement, the French government reiterated its longstanding opposition to capital punishment in all circumstances and renewed its call for the universal abolition of the death penalty.
The case adds to ongoing international criticism of China’s use of capital punishment, particularly in cases involving foreign nationals.
Broader Context of Executions in China
China has previously executed foreign nationals convicted of drug-related crimes. In early 2025, four Canadian citizens were executed in similar cases, prompting strong condemnation from the Canadian government.
In a separate development, China’s top court overturned the death sentence of Canadian citizen Robert Lloyd Schellenberg in February, in what was seen as a rare reversal. Schellenberg had originally been sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2018, but his punishment was later escalated to a death sentence following the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Canada—a move widely criticized by foreign governments as politically motivated.
Human rights organizations have long raised concerns about China’s use of the death penalty. Amnesty International described the country as the world’s leading executioner in a 2024 report, although the exact number of executions remains unknown, as such data is classified as a state secret by Chinese authorities.