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Mbappé apologizes to China after Chinese brands drop him over a Mao remark

He said he thought a meme image resembling Mao showed a Chinese dictator. Mengniu and Dongpeng ended deals, and some broadcasters reportedly suspended coverage.

7 news outlets reported this
Liberal2 outletsCenter3 outletsConservative2 outlets
Published 3 min read
Overview

French soccer star Kylian Mbappé, a Real Madrid forward, apologized to China after remarks about Mao Zedong. In a clip from the French talk show The Bridge, he was asked about a meme that puts his face on an image resembling Mao. He said he thought the figure was a Chinese dictator.

The clip spread on Chinese social media. Dairy company Mengniu and drinks maker Dongpeng ended their partnerships with him. Time, ABC News and the Daily Caller report that cheesemaker Milkground did too.

The companies said they oppose words or acts that hurt the feelings of the Chinese public. Before the apology, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said such words and deeds would meet opposition from all sectors of Chinese society. Reports say Chinese broadcasters, including state broadcaster CCTV, suspended La Liga matches or Mbappé-related content.

Mbappé said on Tuesday that his comment was "ill-judged" and that he respects the Chinese people and their history. On Wednesday, ABC reports, ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China takes the apology seriously, and Real Madrid apologized too. LaLiga had also issued an apology.

A Washington Examiner opinion piece argues he should not have apologized, while news reports focus on the fallout.

Three sides of the story

Liberal2 outlets

Time and ABC News both cover the apology and the fallout. Time leads with Mbappé's statement, issued in three languages, and notes that The Bridge apologized as well. It lists Mengniu, Milkground and Dongpeng ending deals, cites Le Monde valuing two contracts at roughly 50 million yuan, and gives historical context: historians' estimates of tens of millions of deaths under Mao, the view in China of him as a unifier, and earlier punishments for mocking Mao.

ABC centers on Beijing's response. It reports that Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said China takes the apology seriously, and that a People's Daily column called a public figure who crosses a line a "negative asset" for brands. It says China Media Group demanded apologies from La Liga, Mbappé and Real Madrid, that LaLiga president Javier Tebas and later Real Madrid apologized, and that his team's games stayed unavailable in China.

It adds two Beijing residents: one unsure what was said, one calling the reaction overblown.

Center3 outlets

BBC News frames the story as a backlash that kept growing. It describes the clips as unverified, notes Mbappé does not name Mao, and says the original video is gone from the show's channel. It quotes Dongqiudi, Weibo users and foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian.

It reports that CCTV is suspending La Liga matches, citing The Paper, and that brands cited hurt sentiments without mentioning the clip. BBC adds that some users asked what he had actually said. It supplies background on Mao, the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, plus the origin of the "dictator" nickname.

The Journal's headline and description stress that sponsors dropped him and that he apologized over a Mao meme. Forbes' headline reports that Real Madrid apologized for his comments after Chinese broadcasters dropped games, and says state broadcasters have reportedly stopped airing matches featuring him. A BBC video item notes his apology for "ill-judged" comments.

Conservative2 outlets

The Daily Caller's news report centers on the sponsor losses. It cites ESPN on Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground ending deals. It says the clip drew over 700,000 views on X and that Mbappé had starred in a Mengniu World Cup yogurt ad.

It quotes his full apology and LaLiga's statement that the comments were personal and do not represent the league. A Washington Examiner opinion piece takes a stronger line. It argues Mbappé should not have apologized because calling Mao a dictator is historical fact.

The author says Chinese companies act at the Communist Party's direction. The piece cites a death toll of 45 to 60 million under Mao and points to censorship of Tiananmen Square. It also says athletes and organizations tend to give in to Chinese money, citing the NBA.

It argues the West should not yield to Beijing's demands for silence.

Where outlets disagree
  • Which magazine carried Mbappé's earlier interview about the memes
    • Time: He told French magazine L'Equipe last month that some memes showed a lack of political and human awareness.
    • BBC News: He made the remarks in an interview with France Football in September.
All sources: 9 articles from 7 outlets

Liberal (2)

Center (5)

Conservative (2)

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