Mbappe's Mao remarks spark backlash in China, sponsors pull out

French footballer Kylian Mbappe's use of the word "dictator" for Mao Zedong in a television program triggered a major backlash in China. While describing one of the jokes shared about him online, Mbappe referred to a video in which his face was edited with artificial intelligence onto an image of Mao, saying it had been done to a Chinese dictator.

Following his remarks, criticism of the footballer increased on Chinese social media. In response to these reactions, water company Dongpeng and dairy firms Mengniu and Milkground announced that they had ended their sponsorship agreements with Mbappe, which they had used in advertising and products. Shanghai-based The Paper also claimed that state broadcaster CCTV had suspended broadcasts of Real Madrid's La Liga matches, in which Mbappe wears the team's shirt.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a press briefing in Beijing that any statements and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people would be rejected by all sectors of China.

In a statement after the backlash, Mbappe said his comment had been misinterpreted and that he now understood many people in China and among Chinese communities around the world had been hurt. Apologizing to everyone upset by his words, the footballer said that was not his intention and that he holds deep respect for the Chinese people and their history.

Because of his confidence on the pitch and his decisive influence in the team, social media posts are comparing him to authoritarian leaders and dictators. The effect of the incident on the footballer's commercial relationships and on broadcasting decisions in China is being closely watched.