Kylian Mbappe Dropped by Chinese Brands Over Mockery of Mao Zedong

Kylian Mbappe has been dropped by Chinese brands Dongpeng and Mengniu, and warned by Beijing that he faces "rejection" after a video circulated online in which the French football star apparently mocked Mao Zedong.

In the footage, Mbappe is heard referring to a meme of his face photoshopped onto the image of "some guy – I think he's a Chinese dictator." Jokes about Mao, China's founding leader who died in 1976, are considered disrespectful and remain a social taboo in the country.

Dongpeng, a drinks giant with whom Mbappe had brand deals, stated, "Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments." The company added, "with immediate effect we are terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappe."

Mengniu, China's largest dairy producer, issued a similar statement: "With immediate effect our company is terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappe. Mengniu firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people."

Chinese state television has also reportedly suspended LaLiga broadcasts involving Mbappe following the controversy, according to EFE.

Before this incident, Mbappe was highly popular in China, with millions of followers on social media. He is affectionately nicknamed "Guigui," the Chinese translation of "Turtle," due to his popularity in a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles meme. The comments were an apparent reference to a meme that superimposed his face onto images of historical figures, including Mao.

The controversy surrounding Mbappe's remarks caused the topic "Dongpeng Beverage ends cooperation with Mbappe" to trend on the Chinese social media site Weibo. Users on the platform expressed anger, with one stating the remarks "crossed the red line" and were "completely unacceptable."

In September, Mbappe addressed a previous meme depicting him as a military dictator in an interview with French sports newspaper L'Equipe. He acknowledged that while some memes are humorous, others are less so due to the historical damage caused by the individuals depicted. He stated, "Being compared to individuals who murder others, or who have brought misery to millions upon millions of people - well, I don't think I've ever done anything like that in my life."

The furore in China occurred a day after Mbappe finished second to Harry Kane for the Ballon d'Or award. This incident follows a pattern of global sports stars facing backlash and sponsor withdrawal in China after commenting on sensitive topics such as Taiwan, Tibet, and Hong Kong.