Chinese censorphip chief receives French highest honor

Chirac's glorious reign isn't over yet. And it's not over 'till it's over.

According to LCI, the ambassador to France in China has given the French Légion d'Honneur to "a hardliner of the Chinese regime".

Long Xinmin, rewarded with the Légion d'Honneur at the French Embassy in Beijing, is a dignitary of the Chinese regime. He is the chief of the censorship administration, an administration that controls all newspapers, television and, of course, the Chinese Internet. It does not hesitate to send to prison those who do not respect the strict rules of the propaganda. Officially, Mr. Long has received the medal for being a francophile. But even inside the communist party, he's considered as a hardliner, a conservative that has recently been harsher with Chinese bloggers.

An article in Aujourd'hui La Chine (China Today) has more details.

[The ceremony was held in] relative discretion, although not in hiding, since the Embassy, on its website, has published pictures of the ceremony and the Ambassador's speech. Nevertheless, Aujourd'hui la Chine realized that the homepage of the Embassy's website was cleared after our article, no reference to this award being available anymore.

The article goes on explaining that the ambassador diplomatically paid tribute to Mr. Long's knowledge on information and insisted on the importance of free information and freedom of expression. Off record and according to diplomatic sources, this award would be a way for France to "create a privilege contact in case they need it. If a French journalist was to be arrested during the Olympics, a phone call to Mr. Long could end the problem."

Unfortunately, Mr. Long has been replaced. The Chinese communist regime estimated that someone less rigid would better suit the job during the Olympics.

Nice to know the likes of Mr. Long are admirers of France.