Mbappé Apologizes After Being Accused of Insulting 'Chinese People's National Sentiments'

French star Kylian Mbappé has issued an apology, expressing his “sincere regret,” after facing a wave of criticism in China and the cancellation of endorsement deals, following the online spread of a video in which he appeared to joke about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

The incident triggered widespread repercussions. State-owned newspaper The Paper reported that state television suspended broadcasts of Spanish league matches.

The Spanish La Liga quickly expressed its regret over the remarks. In a statement, it said, “La Liga feels deep regret over the offense caused by Kylian Mbappé’s recent comments to Chinese fans. These comments were made in his personal capacity and do not represent La Liga. Within our institutional responsibility, we offer our apology on behalf of La Liga and all its clubs.”

The controversial video shows Mbappé saying that the funniest image he had seen online of himself was one where his face was superimposed on that of “some guy, I think he’s a Chinese dictator.”

This appeared to refer to an image showing Mbappé’s face superimposed on Mao’s, one of several similar composite images using the footballer’s face alongside other historical figures.

AFP’s fact-checking service was unable to immediately verify the authenticity of the video.

Three companies that had been using the player’s name and image—beverage giant Dongpeng and dairy products manufacturer Mengniu, as well as cheese manufacturer Milkground—announced on Tuesday the immediate termination of their collaborations with him, using similar wording and affirming their “zero-tolerance policy” toward actions and remarks that “offend national sentiments.”

Dongpeng stated in a press release, “Our company strongly opposes and adheres to a zero-tolerance policy toward any behavior that offends national sentiments,” adding, “Effective immediately, we are terminating all forms of cooperation with Kylian Mbappé.”

The French national team captain issued a statement on Tuesday in French, English, and Mandarin Chinese, a copy of which was received by AFP: “I apologize to anyone whom my words offended. That was never my intention. I hold deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I express my sincere regret.”

Jokes about Mao, the founder of the People’s Republic of China who died in 1976, are considered offensive in China and remain a social taboo.

Advertisements featuring AI-generated images of the 27-year-old French captain drinking a Dongpeng sports beverage were regularly displayed in China during this year’s World Cup.

Mengniu, China’s largest dairy producer, also ended its partnership with the Real Madrid forward, who had enjoyed widespread popularity among Chinese fans with millions of social media followers prior to this incident.

Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, said during a regular press briefing, “We have noted the relevant reports. Words and actions that offend the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally face unanimous rejection from all sectors of Chinese society.”

In China, Mbappé is known by the nickname “Gui Gui,” the Chinese translation of “turtle,” referencing his popularity in a meme inspired by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Mengniu stated in a press release, “Effective immediately, our company is terminating all forms of cooperation with Kylian Mbappé.”

It added, “Mengniu strongly opposes and adheres to a zero-tolerance policy toward any words or actions that offend the feelings of the Chinese people.”

These announcements came after a video circulated online in which Mbappe said that the funniest meme he had seen was an image of his face superimposed on that of “one person… I think he is a Chinese dictator.”

The hashtag “Dongpeng Beverages Ends Partnership with Mbappe” topped the trending topics on China’s Weibo platform.

In a statement on Monday evening, Dongqiudi, one of China’s largest online football platforms, said Mbappe’s remarks were “offensive to China and the Chinese people” and “hurt the feelings of Chinese football fans and the Chinese people.”

In September, Mbappe had referenced a previous meme that likened him to a dictatorial military ruler, during an interview with the French sports newspaper L’Equipe.

He said, “There is a funny side to it. It’s clear that some people are treating it with humor. But there is another, less humorous side due to the damage caused by people like these throughout history.”

He added, “To be compared to people who kill others or have caused misery to hundreds of millions of people… I don’t think I’ve ever done anything like that in my life.”

The controversy in China came one day after Mbappe lost the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best player to England’s Harry Kane.

Global sports stars have previously sparked controversy in China and lost sponsorship deals there after comments touching on sensitive issues such as Taiwan, Tibet, and Hong Kong.

In 2023, former NBA player Dwight Howard described Taiwan as a country during a video appearance with Lai Ching-te, then vice president of the island and current president, sparking widespread outrage on Chinese social media.

Beijing maintains that Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring the island under its control.

In 2019, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey posted a tweet supporting the Hong Kong protests, prompting China to suspend sponsorship deals with the NBA and halt broadcasts of its games on Chinese television for a year.