Chinese brands cut ties with Mbappé over Mao meme remark controversy

Three major Chinese companies have ended their business ties with French footballer Kylian Mbappé after his remark about an internet meme linked to Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy company Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground have announced the termination of their partnerships with him.

Dongpeng had only appointed Mbappé as goodwill ambassador for its sports drink Bushuaila last April. International brands On and Dior have also removed promotional material featuring him in China.

The controversy began after Mbappé, asked about a favorite meme on the French talk show "The Bridge," referred to a video showing his face superimposed on a photo of Mao as showing "some Chinese dictator." News agency AFP noted the authenticity of the video could not be independently verified.

Real Madrid forward Mbappé apologized in Chinese, French and English on social media platform X, saying he has deep respect for the Chinese people and history. State broadcaster CCTV has stopped airing La Liga matches and removed advertisements featuring him, while social media platform RedNote has reportedly blocked new followers from being added to his account.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said it was natural for people to object to remarks that hurt public sentiment. La Liga said it would improve its communication and coordination processes to avoid such controversies in future.