Kathmandu. French football striker Kylian Mbappe has apologized for his comments against China’s founding leader Mao Zedong. Controversy arose after French striker Kylian Mbappe referred to China’s founding leader Mao Zedong as a ‘dictator’ in a video released online.
Due to this dispute, three large Chinese companies have canceled the sponsorship agreement with Mbappe, who is also a Real Madrid player. Chinese national television has suspended the broadcast of Spanish La Liga matches. The controversy started after a video of Mbappe discussing a favorite internet meme he was linked to was released.
In the clip, which was recorded before appearing on the French online talk show ‘The Bridge’, Mbappe expressed that ‘he is a Chinese dictator’ about the photo with his face attached.
The photo appeared to be of Mao Zedong, who founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and ruled until his death in 1976. Satirizing China’s former leader or portraying him as a dictator is still considered taboo there.
Mbappe released a statement saying, “My comment was thoughtless. I understand that it hurt the feelings of many people in China and the Chinese community around the world.”
He went on to say, “I apologize to everyone who was hurt by my words. It was not my intention at all. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history. I apologize from the bottom of my heart.”
Online memes have previously portrayed Mbappe as an autocratic leader due to his influence over his teammates and his ability to influence club decisions. Mbappe has been nicknamed The Dictator in the European media.
The Chinese sponsors broke the deal
Chinese beverage company Dongpeng, dairy company Mengniu and cheese manufacturer Milkground have announced that they have ended their partnership with French player Mbappe. By issuing statements of the same style, each company has stated that it “opposes any words and actions that offend the national sentiment”.
The China Media Group, which oversees the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, has also suspended the broadcast of La Liga matches. And, ads featuring Mbappe have been removed. La Liga apologized for the controversy and clarified that Mbappe’s comments were made in a personal capacity and did not represent the Spanish league.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said that it will consider Mbappe’s apology but will also evaluate his next steps. In response to a question about this controversy, the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Guo Jiakun, said that words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally face joint opposition from all sectors of Chinese society.
Mao remains a revered figure in China, where public criticism of the former communist leader is considered politically sensitive. DW