French media: The Shein incident has escalated into a political issue between China and France

According to Raphael Balagnier, the Shanghai correspondent of "Les Echos," the French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Attractiveness, Nicolas Forissier, mentioned the possibility of suspending Shein's operations during his meeting with Chinese authorities on Thursday, November 06 in Shanghai. This event has sparked different opinions on Chinese social networks.

This report first asks: Will the Shein incident poison Sino-French relations? After finding weapons and child pornography dolls on the website, France may suspend the operations of this Chinese platform (which was born in Guangzhou but headquartered in Singapore), which has undoubtedly become a political issue between the two countries.

According to "Les Echos," the French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Attractiveness, Nicolas Forissier, raised this issue during his meeting with the Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce, Ling Ji, in Shanghai this Thursday, while on his visit to China.

"At the request of the Prime Minister, I hope that each minister will mobilize within their authority. I met with my Chinese counterpart and informed him of the procedures that have been initiated. It is essential to comply with French law," Forissier confirmed to "Les Echos." "France advocates open international trade, but it must be based on the respect for responsibility and rules. Like all other platforms operating in our market, Shein must ensure the safety of its products and the protection of minors."

Timing is extremely unfavorable

The report states that France has already initiated the procedure to suspend Shein's operations on Wednesday. The platform has 48 hours to make corrections, otherwise its website will be suspended or removed from search engines. Meanwhile, the French General Directorate for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) is conducting an investigation. In addition, the French Interior Minister, Laurent Nuñez, has referred the case to judicial authorities, while the Minister Delegate for Digital Affairs, Anne Le Hénanff, has mobilized the European Commission.

The report continues, stating that Forissier is the first minister-level official in the Leclerc government to directly mention this issue to China. He is currently attending the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai - the largest annual event for French business groups, aimed at supporting approximately 120 French companies participating in the exhibition.

The report believes that the timing of the Shein incident is extremely unfavorable against the background of Paris seeking better market access for French companies in China and striving to balance trade flows. Additionally, recent Sino-French relations have also become tense due to Cognac, dairy products, and pork from the EU.

China has launched three anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations on these three products as a response to the tariffs imposed by the European Commission on Chinese electric vehicles. Although Cognac avoided the worst situation, French pork has been subject to a temporary tariff of about 20%, while the fate of milk remains uncertain - the investigation must be concluded by the end of February 2026.

A symbol of a divided France

The report states that although the incident has risen to a political level in France, in China, the Shein incident has not received much attention. Like Temu, the platform is almost unknown in China because it targets only overseas markets. Therefore, Shein cannot receive strong patriotic support as it did when Huawei Group was prevented from entering the 5G market in multiple European countries, including France.

The report mentions that on "Xiaohongshu" (the Chinese version of Instagram), the incident is mainly mentioned by Chinese influencers living in France or Europe, as well as Chinese exchange students. For example, a content creator Hao Qian (a transliteration) in a video that received more than 4,700 likes said that she has also seen similar sex toys on Temu and other platforms. She does not understand why Shein is being targeted so fiercely. "This issue is not new, but in this sensitive period, anything could trigger public anger... Shein is currently on a volcano ready to erupt in France," she said.

However, some people are angry about Shein's negligence. "Sex toys with children's faces, how can this not constitute a crime?" asked one netizen. The report concludes that for some Chinese people, the Shein incident also highlights the growing polarization in French society. "The current France seems so divided... I miss the elegant and peaceful Europe of ten years ago," another netizen commented on Xiaohongshu on Thursday.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848136380675403/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.