The comments were part of an essay that were posted to the website of China’s embassy in France on Sunday. Titled “Restoring distorted facts – Observations of a Chinese diplomat posted to Paris”, the essay made a blistering attack on the West’s attempts to deal with the COVID-19 health crisis. The author criticised Western states for their slow and complacent response to the outbreak of the killer virus, before taking aim atFrench nursing staff in care homes for the elderly.