Major Chinese brands drop Mbappé as backlash grows over Mao joke
Summary
Several Chinese brands have ended or suspended commercial ties with Kylian Mbappé amid online backlash over unverified clips that appear to show him joking about a meme depicting him as a Chinese dictator. Mbappé and the French talk show have not commented, and the brands cited hurt national feelings without explicitly naming the clip.Key Facts
- The clips reportedly show Mbappé calling a meme that places his face on an image resembling Mao Zedong his favorite.
- The original interview video is no longer on the show’s YouTube channel, and Mbappé does not name Mao in the reported remarks.
- Chinese football forum Dongqiudi drew attention to the remarks on Monday night and called them inappropriate.
- China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said words and actions that hurt Chinese people’s feelings would face opposition.
- Dairy company Mengniu and drinks company Dongpeng issued statements opposing actions that hurt or offend Chinese people’s feelings.
- Chinese state broadcaster CCTV is reportedly suspending La Liga matches, according to the outlet The Paper.
- The article says Mbappé is popular in China and has had major commercial endorsements there.
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