Overview
- Several Chinese firms, including beverage makers Dongpeng and Mengniu, announced they were ending or suspending partnerships with Kylian Mbappé on Tuesday after a short podcast excerpt circulated online.
- The clip showed Mbappé describing a meme that placed his face on what he called a “Chinese dictator,” an image reporters say referenced Mao Zedong and touched on a politically sensitive subject in China.
- State-linked media groups reportedly removed advertising with Mbappé and paused broadcasts of Real Madrid and LaLiga matches, and China’s foreign ministry said words that hurt national feelings draw unified rejection.
- Mbappé issued a public apology saying his remark was unthoughtful and that he regretted hurting people in China and Chinese communities worldwide, and LaLiga and Real Madrid also offered apologies.
- The situation remains fluid as more companies and platforms monitor developments, with wider commercial and market effects possible if formal remediation is not judged sufficient by Chinese authorities and broadcasters.