Kylian Mbappé loses Chinese sponsors after Mao meme remark sparks backlash

Kylian Mbappé is facing a backlash in China after remarks about a meme prompted several companies to end their commercial ties with the French football star, according to the report. Drinks maker Dongpeng, dairy company Mengniu and cheese producer Milkground each announced that they were ending their arrangements with him. Their statements said they opposed “words and actions that hurt national sentiment,” but did not spell out the specific reason for their decisions. The announcements followed the circulation of footage from the French online chat programme The Bridge. In the clip, Mbappé is asked which meme featuring himself he likes best. He describes a video showing a man he thinks was a Chinese dictator, before the programme displays an edited image placing his face on a figure resembling Mao Zedong, the report says. The article notes that football fans have long shared jokes and memes portraying Mbappé as a dictator or authoritarian figure. China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun responded to the controversy by saying that remarks and actions hurting the feelings of Chinese people would naturally meet opposition from different parts of society. The Associated Press said it was unable to reach Mbappé’s representatives for comment. RedNote also issued a statement about its former content partnership with the player. The platform said the arrangement had ended on December 31, 2024, and that it would remove related promotional material. By Tuesday, the report adds, Mbappé’s account on the platform was no longer accepting new followers. The companies’ moves put a spotlight on the footballer’s commercial profile in China, where his advertising has appeared in public spaces and promoted products including drinks, dairy and cheese. The article describes him as a prominent face in the country’s marketing campaigns, while the dispute now puts those partnerships under scrutiny.