Photo: screenshot

The Chinese Embassy to France has made a clarification after someone falsely used its official Twitter account to publish a cartoon featuring the US as the Grim Reaper. 

The embassy said, "Someone posted a false image on our official Twitter account with the name of our embassy titled 'Qui est le prochain?' on May 24."

The embassy is the victim of false news, the embassy said, calling on netizens not to spread or believe rumors.

The tweet was deleted as of press time. 

The image, which triggered heated discussion online, features the Grim Reaper (a figure representing death) draped in a US national flag and standing in front of a closed door with "Hong Kong" written on it. 

The other doors behind the skeleton are Iraq, Syria, Ukraine and Venezuela, with pools of blood seen in front of them.  

The Global Times is contacting the embassy for further comments. 

Global Times