Chinese Brands Cut Ties with Mbappé Over Mao 'Dictator' Comment
A resurfaced clip of French soccer star Kylian Mbappé referring to a meme figure as "a Chinese dictator" — without naming Mao Zedong — has triggered a wave of Chinese sponsor departures, a suspension of his Xiaohongshu account, and apologies from both Mbappé and La Liga.
A clip from a spring recording of the French online talk show "The Bridge" circulated widely on Chinese social media on Monday, showing Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé describing a meme in which his face was digitally superimposed over what he called "a guy… I think he was a Chinese dictator" — a clear reference to Mao Zedong, though Mbappé did not name him. The comment triggered swift and fierce backlash. Three major Chinese companies — energy-drink maker Dongpeng Beverage, dairy producer Inner Mongolia Mengniu Dairy, and cheesemaker Milkground — all announced on Tuesday that they were terminating their partnerships with the player. The social media platform Xiaohongshu, where Mbappé had more than a million followers, suspended his account for "violating community guidelines." According to reports and a commentary by state-backed tabloid Global Times, broadcasts of sporting events and advertisements involving Mbappé were also suspended in China. La Liga President Javier Tebas publicly apologized, saying the league could not allow an individual's actions to damage its relationship with China. Mbappé himself then posted an apology on social media, writing that his comment was "ill-judged" and that he understood it "hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world." China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday that "words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with a collective boycott by all sectors of Chinese society." Sports industry author Mark Dreyer warned that the episode would make global celebrities increasingly cautious about engaging with China.
