French soccer star Kylian Mbappé is experiencing significant economic consequences in China after making comments about Mao Zedong during a spring interview with French online talk show "The Bridge." [1] When asked about his favorite meme, Mbappé responded to an image showing his face superimposed on Mao by referring to "a Chinese dictator," without naming Mao directly. [1] The incident stems from online memes that humorously depict Mbappé as an authoritarian figure due to his prominent presence on and off the field. [1]
The commercial fallout has been swift and substantial. [1] Multiple Chinese brands announced Tuesday that they were terminating partnerships with Mbappé, including Dongpeng Beverage (energy drinks), Inner Mongolia Mengniu Dairy (one of China's largest dairy producers), Milkground (cheesemaker), and Xiaohongshu (Chinese social media platform, which suspended his account with over a million followers). [1] Dongpeng Beverage stated: "Our company firmly opposes and adopts a zero-tolerance policy toward any behavior that hurts the feelings of the Chinese people." [1] Dongqiudi, a popular Chinese soccer platform, indicated it could not translate Mbappé's remarks because "his comments involve statements that hurt China." [1]
The scale of the backlash prompted institutional responses from the sports industry. [1] La Liga, the Spanish league where Mbappé plays for Real Madrid, issued an apology, with President Javier Tebas stating: "We deeply regret the comments that have caused discomfort and offense in China. We cannot allow an individual's action to tarnish La Liga and its clubs' relationship with China." [1] Reports indicated that broadcasts of the Spanish league had been suspended in China. [1] Mbappé issued his own apology on social media, stating: "During a recent interview, I reacted to an image of myself. My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world. I apologize to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry." [1] Prior to the incident, Mbappé had criticized the dictator memes in an interview with French sports newspaper L'Équipe, noting they showed "a lack of political and human awareness." [1]
CONCLUSION
Mbappé's comments about Mao Zedong have triggered a major commercial and institutional crisis in China, resulting in multiple brand partnerships being terminated and La Liga broadcasts being suspended. The incident demonstrates the significant financial and reputational risks celebrities face when making politically sensitive remarks regarding China, with both corporate and sports industry entities moving quickly to distance themselves from the controversy.