Chinese brands Dongpeng and Mengniu end partnerships with Kylian Mbappe over alleged Mao joke
Two major Chinese companies terminated their cooperation with football star Kylian Mbappe after a video surfaced in which he appeared to joke about Mao Zedong, prompting public backlash.
Chinese beverage producer Dongpeng Beverage announced it is terminating all cooperation with French football captain Kylian Mbappe, citing a "zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments". The decision follows a video that circulated online showing Mbappe seemingly referencing a meme that placed his face on an image of Mao Zedong, a figure whose name is considered a social taboo in China.
Mengniu, the country's largest dairy producer, issued a similar statement, also ending its partnership with Mbappe and emphasizing its stance against "words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people". Both statements were released on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
The video, whose authenticity has not been verified by AFP Fact Check, featured Mbappe describing the "funniest internet meme" he had seen as a photo-shop of his face onto "some guy – I think he's a Chinese dictator". Chinese social media users quickly labeled the remarks as crossing a "red line" and called for the removal of Mbappe's image from Dongpeng's sports drink packaging.
Dongqiudi, a leading online football outlet in China, described Mbappe's comments as "offensive to China and the Chinese people" and said they had hurt the feelings of Chinese football fans. The controversy emerged a day after Mbappe finished second to Harry Kane for the Ballon d'Or.
Mbappe previously addressed a different meme that depicted him as a military dictator, telling French sports newspaper L'Equipe that while some jokes are "funny", comparisons to historical figures responsible for mass suffering are "not funny" and do not reflect his own actions.