Le Blanc-Mesnil (AFP)
"A million" FFP1 and FFP2 masks must be produced there every day: the "first" mask factory in Ile-de-France, opened in a few weeks by a Chinese businessman, was officially inaugurated on Thursday at Blanc-Mesnil (Seine-Saint-Denis).
The factory, announced in mid-April, was set up in "record time", welcomed the mayor of Blanc-Mesnil, Thierry Meignen (Libres!). It is located in a large warehouse entirely repainted in white, where several machines, including four from China, have been installed. Four more are expected to arrive in the coming days.
There are only a few "adjustments" to be made and the masks will be able to leave the factory from next week, assures Hsueh Sheng Wang, the entrepreneur behind the project. Ultimately, "a million" FFP1 and FFP2 masks must be manufactured per day, he promises, demonstrating their manufacture.
Part of the production could initially be requisitioned by the State, adds this 55-year-old man who has lived in France for 40 years and says he has invested "4 million euros" in the project. He sought the support of the region, which set up a covid-19 fund to finance up to 800,000 euros for health projects.
She recalled the history of the project born during meetings with members of the Franco-Chinese community who donated thousands of masks to the region during the Covid crisis. "On this occasion, a slightly crazy idea emerged: what if we produced masks again in Ile-de-France?" Said Ms. Pécresse.
The plot where the factory is located belongs to Eurasia group, the listed company of Mr. Wang. He then plans to build a large shopping and housing district there.
Figure of the Franco-Chinese community, the entrepreneur has enriched himself by renting warehouse cutting, especially to wholesalers of the "Chinese path" of Aubervilliers, the first European import-export platform with China.
His journey, which arouses the admiration of some, also arouses suspicion, especially since he has been targeted since 2014 by a preliminary investigation by the National Financial Prosecutor's Office (PNF) for "money laundering" and "tax fraud", after a complaint from the taxman.
© 2020 AFP