FRANCE 24 spoke to Lu Shaye, the Chinese ambassador to France. He insisted Beijing was prioritising "peaceful reunification" with Taiwan, but said the Chinese authorities had "not ruled out the use of force" – not with the intention of targeting "the people of Taiwan", but rather to dissuade "separatists in Taiwan" and certain "foreign forces". The Chinese diplomat also said he was "sure" there would be no mass surge in Covid-19 cases during the Winter Olympics, which open in Beijing on February 4.
Lu Shaye, the Chinese ambassador to France, told FRANCE 24 that all "preventative measures" have been taken to ensure that the Winter Olympics take place in the best possible health conditions. Although he admitted there was a slight uptick in Covid-19 cases in China, Lu said the situation was "under control" and predicted that "there will not be a large epidemic of Covid-19 in Beijing during the Games".
