The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs confirmed on Saturday, April 4, 2026, the execution of French citizen Chan Thao Phoumy in China. The ministry stated it was informed by Chinese authorities of the execution, which was carried out in Guangzhou.
Chan Thao Phoumy was sentenced to death in 2010 for drug trafficking. The French foreign ministry issued a statement expressing its "consternation" at the execution and reiterated France's long-standing opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances and all places.
The case highlights ongoing diplomatic tensions between China, which maintains capital punishment for serious crimes like drug trafficking, and Western nations like France that have abolished the practice. French authorities had reportedly made numerous appeals for clemency in the years following the conviction.
