Mbappe Apology Fails to Halt Chinese Broadcasting and Sponsorship Cuts

Kylian Mbappe's apology to China on Tuesday did not stop the commercial fallout from his comments about Mao Zedong. By Wednesday, the Chinese state media group CMG announced it would suspend coverage of La Liga. The suspension affects the world's second-richest football league, which trails only England's Premier League in revenue. Several major sponsors, including beverage company Dongpeng and dairy firms Mengniu and Milkground, also ended their partnerships with the player on Tuesday.

The controversy began with a clip from the French show The Bridge, which has since been removed. In the footage, Mbappe described an internet meme as amusing. The meme digitally placed his face onto the body of Mao, whom he referred to as a Chinese dictator. Ridicule of the former leader remains a taboo in China, where historians associate his rule with millions of deaths. Mbappe, the 27-year-old France captain, issued an apology in French, Chinese, and English. He called the comment ill-judged and said his words had hurt people in China and other Chinese communities.

Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for China's foreign ministry, addressed the situation at a regular briefing on Wednesday. He stated that the ministry takes the apology from the individual concerned seriously. The diplomatic response came as the practical consequences for the player intensified. Mbappe's social media accounts on Xiaohongshu and Weibo were frozen. Weibo displayed a notice citing violations of its community rules or laws. Chinese media reports indicated that luxury brands Dior and Hublot had deleted content featuring the striker from their Weibo pages. AFP searches using his Chinese name on those pages returned no results.

The impact extended to retail environments in Beijing. During a visit to the Adidas flagship store in the Sanlitun shopping district, Real Madrid shirts were available for purchase. However, none of the shirts carried Mbappe's name. Unofficial merchandise, including beanies and caps, remained accessible through the Taobao retail app. Chinese internet users continued to criticize the player on Wednesday, with some comments including racist remarks. La Liga expressed deep regret over the offense caused to Chinese supporters.

Mbappe has enjoyed popularity in China for years. State media have praised his ability, and his image has appeared on billboards and social platforms. Fans often called him Guigui, meaning turtle, due to his resemblance to a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character. The current dispute mirrors a 2019 incident involving the NBA. After Houston Rockets executive Daryl Morey posted support for Hong Kong protesters, sponsorship deals were suspended and state television stopped showing games for a year. This week, the official People's Daily published an opinion piece stating that international celebrities must respect other countries' history, cultures, customs, and national sentiments.