France Gives a Heartfelt Viva la Chine? Sino-French Fling on Social Media Generates Cheery Buzz.
The Olympics have long been a symbol of international unity and athletic achievement, but a recent gesture by France has sparked a wave of attention and amusement on Chinese social media platform Weibo. Under the hashtag "#法国爱中国实锤了#" (France loves China, no need to hide it), which has gone viral, netizens are discussing and joking about the apparent affection France has shown towards China.
30 July 2024
At the center of the discussion is a French video promoting the 2024 Paris Olympics, which has been interpreted by some as a gift to China. The video, shared by Weibo user @搞笑赖赖 (Funny Little Lai), showcases the city of Paris with landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, but what has caught the attention of netizens is the prominent display of Chinese characters and the shoutout to China.
"I must say, the opening ceremony could have been even better if they had done something like this," commented one netizen, while another joked, "France is really 'pure loving' China now. Showing off their affection in the open."
The video has also sparked some controversy, with a few netizens expressing skepticism about the motivations behind France's actions. "This whole thing feels like a self-inflicted wound, like we're trying to convince ourselves that France loves us," wrote one user, while another compared it to "军训爱上教官" (a military trainee falling in love with their instructor), implying that France's display of affection might be unwarranted.
Others, however, were more lighthearted in their reactions. "France must be thinking, 'If we just give China enough love, maybe they'll let us join their ranks as a superpower'," quipped one netizen. Another joked that France's actions were a "surprise gift" to Korea on the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, adding that Korea might "apply for French bread to become an intangible cultural heritage".
Meanwhile, Chinese athletes competing in the Olympics have also been getting in on the action. Stone Xi, a Chinese badminton player, posted a photo of himself wearing Olympic ring-shaped glasses, accompanied by a comment that read "I'm in high spirits and looking forward to the next match". This too was met with enthusiasm from Weibo users, with one commenting "Xi is getting in on the #法国爱中国实锤了# action".
While it remains to be seen whether France's actions will have any lasting impact on Sino-French relations, one thing is certain: the light-hearted exchange has brought a smile to the faces of many on Weibo.