Mbappe apologizes as Mao remark sparks backlash in China

France national team captain Kylian Mbappe has apologized after a comment he made about Mao Zedong triggered backlash in China. Mbappe said his words about combining his face with that of a Chinese dictator in an internet humor image had hurt many people in China and Chinese communities around the world. He published his statement in French, Chinese and English.

The controversy began when the video spread online. AFP Fact Check has not yet verified the authenticity of the video. Because Mao's image is considered extremely sensitive in China, the comment quickly turned into widespread anger.

La Liga also distanced itself from the comments in a statement. The league stressed that the remarks were made in a personal capacity and did not represent La Liga, and it expressed regret for offending Chinese fans.

The reaction also spread to the commercial sphere. Chinese beverage companies Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground announced that they had ended their partnerships with the 27-year-old forward. Dongpeng had used AI-generated images of Mbappe in its advertisements during this year's World Cup.

Reaction also grew on Chinese social media platform Weibo. A hashtag about Dongpeng ending its partnership reached 430 million views. Some users called on companies to remove Mbappe's images from their products. Dongqiudi, one of China's major football platforms, described the remarks as an insult to China and the Chinese people.