In brief

• Chinese brands terminated their partnerships with Kylian Mbappé after he made comments about a meme portraying him as a 'Chinese dictator'.
• Dongpeng Beverage and Inner Mongolia Mengniu Dairy were among the companies that ended their deals with the French striker.
• La Liga apologized for the offense caused by Mbappé's remarks, and the player issued a statement apologizing for his 'ill-judged' comment.
• The controversy stems from Mbappé's reference to a meme featuring his face superimposed on an image resembling Mao Zedong.

Sponsors pull out after a talk-show joke

Chinese brands distanced themselves from Kylian Mbappé after a clip from the French talk show The Bridge circulated online. In the clip, the Real Madrid forward mentioned a meme that amused him, which featured a figure he perceived as a Chinese dictator, and the program then displayed an image of his face overlaid on a likeness of Mao Zedong (Memes, Mao and Mbappé: Chinese brands drop soccer star in fury over ‘dictator’ joke – NBCNews.com) (Mbappé dropped by major Chinese brands drop as backlash grows over Mao joke – BBC) (Килиан Мбаппе рассказал, что любит мем, где его изображают «китайским диктатором». Теперь компании в Китае разрывают с ним сотрудничество, а трансляции чемпионата Испании останавливают. Высказался даже МИД – Meduza).

Dongpeng Beverage, which produces energy drinks, announced the immediate end of its collaboration with the player, stating the company opposes any behavior that offends national sentiment. Inner Mongolia Mengniu Dairy, a major dairy producer in northern China, also concluded its agreement with the striker, and reports indicated that a cheese maker took similar action (Mbappé Boycott in China Widens After Perceived Insult to Mao – Bloomberg.com). According to the Associated Press, at least three companies severed ties by Tuesday (Chinese brands cut ties with French soccer star Mbappé over ‘Chinese dictator’ remark – apnews.com).

Scale of the deals

Mbappé ranks third among the world's highest-paid footballers according to Forbes, meaning his endorsement revenue was a significant factor in the sponsor withdrawals (Soccer Star Mbappé Loses Chinese Sponsorship Deals Amid Mao Zedong Meme Backlash – Forbes). His image was visible across China, appearing in advertisements on subway stations and on drink packaging. The departure of these sponsors removed a visible element of his commercial presence in the country (En Chine, le coût financier exorbitant des propos de Kylian Mbappé sur le « dictateur » Mao – Le Monde).

Apologies from the player and league

La Liga, the Spanish league where Mbappé is a prominent figure, issued an apology for the offense his remarks caused among Chinese supporters and distanced itself from the comments (Fußball: Kylian Mbappé verliert nach Mao-Äußerungen chinesische Sponsoren – ZEIT ONLINE). Mbappé subsequently released a statement asserting that his comment was poorly judged and that he understood it caused distress to many people in China and within Chinese communities globally. He apologized to all those his words upset.

Why the remark struck a nerve

Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic, is highly respected by the Communist Party, and jokes concerning him are widely considered disrespectful and a social taboo within China. The meme at the core of the controversy was part of an ongoing joke that labeled the Real Madrid player a 'dictator' due to his considerable influence in football. The swift reaction shows how quickly international figures can face repercussions in China over political sensitivities that receive less attention elsewhere.