Kylian Mbappé joked on social media the other day about China’s late dictator Mao Zedong - and it had immediate consequences.
Energy drink company Dongpeng and dairy producer Mengniu have ended their collaborations with the Frenchman, and China has stopped broadcasting La Liga in the country.
Mbappé has apologized, and La Liga has expressed regret over what happened.
Now his club, Real Madrid, has apologized.
"Our club has great respect for China, its history, culture and people, as well as for the millions of fans who cheer for Real Madrid," the club writes on its website.
Real Madrid also writes that it supports Mbappé’s apology and that the club works to promote respect and understanding between different cultures.
"Real Madrid expresses its desire to continue strengthening the bonds of friendship that unite the club with China," the club wrote.
Take the apology seriously
On the French talk show "The Bridge," Mbappé was asked what his favorite meme depicting himself was. The 27-year-old star replied that it was a video in which his head had been superimposed on the body of Mao Zedong, or, as Mbappé himself put it: "I think he was a Chinese dictator."
Criticism from China was swift, and on Tuesday Mbappé apologized on X.
"I apologize to anyone who has been offended by my words. That was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry," he wrote, among other things.
The apology seems to have fallen on deaf ears in China.
"We take the apology from the relevant person very seriously," said Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
La Liga president Javier Tebas wrote on X that he hoped the situation could be resolved soon.
"We will continue to work together to ensure that a single incident does not damage the great progress we have made or affect the millions of Chinese fans who follow our league," he wrote.
NBA brawl
In 2019, China came into conflict with the NBA after Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey expressed support for Hong Kong protesters’ struggle for democracy. China’s state broadcaster suspended all NBA broadcasts for a year and did not fully resume them until three years later.
Mao Zedong founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and led the country as a dictator until his death in 1976.
