China Executes French Citizen Over Drug Trafficking — Paris Calls It a Violation of His Rights

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A French national has been put to death in southern China after spending more than two decades behind bars. The case has triggered a sharp diplomatic rebuke from Paris and reignited debate over China's use of the death penalty against foreign nationals.

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A Death Sentence 15 Years in the Making

Chan Thao Phoumy, a 62-year-old Frenchman born in Laos, was executed in Guangzhou, a major city in southern China, after being sentenced to death in 2010 for drug trafficking. The execution was confirmed by France's foreign ministry on Saturday, April 4, 2026.

According to a French ministry statement, the sentence was carried out despite efforts by French authorities, including attempts to obtain a pardon on humanitarian grounds.

Chan had been swept up in a large-scale crackdown years earlier. He was among those arrested in 2005 and was later convicted in connection with a major drug operation, with the sentence carried out after more than 20 years of imprisonment.

France: "A Violation of His Rights"

Paris did not hold back in its criticism. France's foreign ministry said Chan's defence team was denied access to the final court hearing — a move the ministry described as a violation of his rights.

The ministry reaffirmed France's opposition to the death penalty "everywhere and in all circumstances" and renewed its call for universal abolition.

The case carries particular weight because France currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council — a position that gives Paris influence over upcoming human rights dialogues with China.

China's Response: The Law Applies to Everyone

Beijing pushed back swiftly. China's foreign ministry stated that when defendants of different nationalities commit crimes on Chinese territory, Chinese law shall be applied equally. Officials insisted that the legal process had been followed correctly.

China does not publish official statistics on executions, treating such data as a state secret. According to Amnesty International, China executes more people than all other countries combined — though verified numbers are impossible to confirm independently.

A Pattern With Foreign Nationals

This is far from the first time a foreign citizen has faced the death penalty in China for drug-related offenses.

In 2009, British national Akmal Shaikh was executed for drug trafficking, despite personal pleas from then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown to Chinese President Hu Jintao. From 2010 to 2016, six Japanese nationals were sentenced to death for drug crimes in China. In 2014, three South Korean nationals were executed for drug trafficking.

More recently, in August 2023, China executed a South Korean national for drug trafficking — the first such case involving a South Korean citizen in nearly a decade.

How China's Drug Laws Work

China enforces some of the world's strictest anti-drug legislation. The legal threshold for the death penalty is possession or trafficking of 50 grams or more of heroin or methamphetamine — though executions typically follow in cases involving far larger quantities.

According to Amnesty International's 2024 global report, 42% of all known executions that year were carried out for drug-related offenses — the vast majority in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore. Human rights experts have consistently argued that drug offenses do not meet the international legal threshold for crimes warranting the death penalty.

A Diplomatic Flashpoint

The timing and circumstances of Chan's execution are likely to strain relations between Paris and Beijing. France's public condemnation — combined with its current role leading EU Council affairs — means the case could carry consequences beyond bilateral diplomacy.

Human rights organizations have argued that drug-related executions disproportionately impact individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, while research shows no proven deterrent effect on drug trafficking.

For now, Beijing appears unmoved. The Chinese government has a long track record of resisting foreign pressure in capital punishment cases — and this execution suggests that pattern is unlikely to change soon.

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Sources

1. France 24 — China executes French national convicted in 2010 for drug trafficking https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20260404-china-executes-french-national-convicted-in-2010-for-drug-trafficking

2. AFP via The Local France — China executes Frenchman convicted of drug trafficking https://www.thelocal.fr/20260405/china-executes-frenchman-convicted-of-drug-trafficking

3. French Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Official Statement on the Execution of Chan Thao Phoumy https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/chine/evenements/article/chine-execution-de-m-chan-thao-phoumy-04-04-2026

4. VOA News — China Executes South Korean for Drug Trafficking (background/context) https://www.voanews.com/a/china-executes-south-korean-for-drug-trafficking/7212770.html

5. Amnesty International — Death Sentences and Executions 2024 Global Report https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ACT5089762025ENGLISH.pdf

6. Death Penalty Information Center — China Country Overview https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/tag/china

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