The Chinese government has declared that the action taken against Kylian Mbappé by some major brands in China was in order.
A Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, stated Beijing’s position on Tuesday after a video featuring the French football star circulated online.
“Any rhetoric or action that hurts the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be rejected across the sectors in China,” Guo said.
A French talk show had asked Mbappé about his favourite meme of himself. “A video someone made of a guy; I think he was a Chinese dictator,” he replied.
The clip, which triggered the controversy, shows a doctored image of Mbappé’s face on the body of Mao Zedong, the founding leader of Communist China.
Dairy giant Mengniu, beverage maker Dongpeng, and cheese maker Milkground have all terminated their sponsorship agreements with Mbappé.
The Real Madrid star apologised in a statement on Tuesday, saying he now understands that his “ill-judged” comment hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities worldwide.
“I apologise to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention,” Mbappé wrote. “I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry.”
