Chinese brands Dongpeng and Mengniu end partnerships with Kylian Mbappe after controversial video
Two major Chinese companies terminated their agreements with footballer Kylian Mbappe following a video in which he appeared to joke about a Chinese leader, citing a zero-tolerance policy for actions that offend national sentiments.
Dongpeng Beverage, a leading Chinese drinks producer, announced that it is ending all cooperation with French football forward Kylian Mbappe, stating that the company "firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments" and that the termination is effective immediately.
Mengniu, the country's largest dairy producer, issued a similar statement, confirming that it is also terminating its partnership with Mbappe and emphasizing that it "firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people."
The decisions followed the circulation of an online video in which Mbappe described a meme featuring his face on an image of a Chinese political figure as the "funniest internet meme" he had seen, referring to the figure as "some guy -- I think he's a Chinese dictator." The video appeared to reference a meme that superimposed Mbappe onto a portrait of Mao Zedong.
The authenticity of the video has not been verified by AFP Fact Check. The termination announcements quickly trended on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. Mbappe, who was 27 at the time, had recently missed out on the Ballon d'Or, which was awarded to Harry Kane.