China moves into France to help in virus fight

Airport employees wearing protective masks unloading a cargo of 25 tons of material arriving from China, including thousands of masks, in the international airport of the French Riviera city of Nice, southern France. There are 125,000 Chinese nationals living in France on residency permits, a small proportion of all foreigners residing in the country. - AFP

BEIJING/PARIS: An operation by France's Chinese community to help the diaspora during the Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak by distributing masks, disinfectant and gloves has prompted questions and legal problems for some of its backers.

Sceptical of the French government's response to the epidemic, the Chinese embassy, business leaders and ex-pat associations have handed out so-called "COVID kits", masks and other protective equipment to their compatriots.