China France File photo: cnsphoto

A French scholar who recently engaged in a war of words with the Chinese Embassy to France was disdained by Chinese experts and officials on China-France affairs, with some expressing their support for the embassy's firm rebuttal against the claims of Antoine Bondaz, who appeared to be a "rising star" in some Western hawk-led anti-China circles engaging in another form of "political correctness."

The fierce online debate started when French senator Alain Richard announced plans to visit the island of Taiwan in the summer, which was resolutely rejected by the Chinese Embassy to France. In a letter, Chinese Ambassador to France Lu Shaye expressed China's firm stand to oppose the planned trip, saying that the visit would be used by "Taiwan independent" secessionists and create unnecessary disruption to China-France relations and exchanges.  

However, Bondaz, who claimed to be a researcher on Chinese foreign and security policy focusing on strategic issues in East Asia, lauded the senator's plan on Twitter. 

The French scholar has been interacting with the embassy on social media in the past few days with messages like "a big, big kiss to you and your trolls" to which the embassy retweeted with "Petit frappe" which means "little rascal."

Major French media outlets like local newspaper Le Monde ran headlines with "petit frappe" and some local TV channels invited Bondaz to talk on their shows, claiming this was an insult by the Chinese Embassy to France to a local scholar. 

It has apparently become a so-called honor for some scholars like Bondaz to speak against China, which helps boost their reputation in showing so-called political correctness, Chinese experts told the Global Times. 

"Bondaz is not a well-known scholar at all. It's only because now in France, it's politically correct to speak against China, as such move will be widely accepted by public opinion and French media," Zheng Ruolin, a senior Chinese media professional and European studies expert who lived in France for several years, told the Global Times on Monday. 

Besides the fact that this is mere political correctness, his claims are not even worth being refuted, as they carry no weight, Zheng noted. 

After being refuted by the Chinese embassy, Bondaz suggested on Monday "We should stop there," indicating that the online war of words needed to end. "Of course, he wants to stop his online trolling, because he is afraid of offending China," the Chinese expert said. 

The embassy is unlikely to further interact with the scholar, as it has already clarified its stance in public statements, some observers said, noting it is not worthwhile to spend a lot of time to argue with such a pseudo-scholar who talks nonsense to sabotage China-French ties. 

By openly interfering in China's internal affairs and supporting secessionism under the cover of advocating so-called freedom of speech and political freedom but calling China's objection coercion or violation of freedom is clear double standards, and this kind of political rascal should be rejected, some observers said. 

Some netizens on China's Twitter-like Weibo also asked "Why can French politicians point fingers at China's internal affairs" but the Chinese Embassy to France can't fight back? Some expressed their support for the embassy in taking a firm stance in defending China's core interests. 

In response to some online criticism about the embassy engaging in "wolf warrior diplomacy," the Chinese Embassy to France said in an article on Monday, "If there are wolf warriors, it is because there are too many mad dogs, including some crazy dogs disguised as academics and media."