French press review 6 September 2018

Le Monde’s front looks at China’s deepening economic relations with Africa.

Headlined, ‘Xi Jinping’s Operation Charm’ it reports on the recently held China Africa summit in Beijing where the Chinese President received the 53 heads of African states with great pomp.

The report states that at the summit the Chinese President announced tens of billions of dollars in aid, debt cancellation and financing and insisted that Beijing will not interfere in the internal affairs of Africa.

The paper though points out a contradiction stating that despite these declarations of non-interference, Beijing continues to strengthen its military presence on the ground.

Le Monde also reports on the typhoon Jibe that hit Japan causing extensive damage.

The report states that extreme events are hitting Japan at an unprecedented rate and that experts from the country’s National Meteorological Agency feel that climate change is responsible.

The typhoon claimed 10 lives and injured 340 people with close to 570,000 homes without electricity and transport heavily disrupted.

Jebi is the 21st typhoon recorded this year, five of which have occurred in August alone.

The report states that the rapid sequence of their formation is because of the high temperatures on the surface of the ocean.

It points out that Japan has also been hit by other extreme phenomenon like the intense heat wave in July in which a new temperature record was set at 41.1 degrees in Kumagaya, north of Tokyo.

Libération carries a follow up on the sentencing of two journalists in Myanmar.

The paper states that this episode discredits the civilian-military government of Aung San Suu Kyi and puts pressure on the country’s rulers.

The report features the press conference held by the wives of the two journalists. While addressing the media, a wife of one of the journalists said she was disappointed by the attitude of the Nobel Peace Prize winner Suu Kyi, who accused the two reporters of violating state secrecy.