Fabius quells speculation Chinese police may join Paris tourist patrols

France has its own police to protect Chinese tourists, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said amid rising speculation over Chinese police joining their French counterparts in patrolling major Paris tourist attractions.

Fabius told reporters on the sidelines of his visit to Beijing that measures will be taken to protect tourists’ safety as France looks to encourage more visitors from China.

But he added: “Allowing Chinese police to patrol is not necessarily the best solution.”

Overseas media reports, quoting sources from the French interior ministry, said Paris was drafting a proposal to allow Chinese police officers to arrive in Paris as early as June, patrolling the city’s main tourist areas with their French colleagues.

A spokesman from the ministry told The Guardian earlier this month that the role of Chinese police would be preventative, and they would work as part of a joint operation to protect tourists across Paris.

Last week, Reuters cited an anonymous interior ministry source as saying that “the details on these Chinese police officers have not been finalised, but they should arrive some time in June.”