At least three Chinese companies have ended their cooperation with Kylian Mbappé, after several statements by the French footballer that are reportedly linked to Mao Zedong, the founder of communist China, whom he described as a dictator.
Drinks maker Dongpeng, dairy group Mengniu and cheese products company Milkground have announced the termination of agreements with the captain of the French national team. In their statements, the companies stressed that they oppose “any word or behavior that hurts national sentiments.”
The decision came after a video was shared on social networks in which Mbappé, during an interview before appearing on the French online show The Bridge, mentions a meme depicting a Chinese dictator. Later, the published material also showed a manipulated image in which the footballer’s face was placed over that of Mao Zedong.
The controversy spread quickly on Chinese social networks. The platform RedNote also announced the removal of promotional materials related to the footballer, while on Weibo, the well-known Chinese social network, hashtags related to the termination of agreements and the boycott of Mbappé gained wide attention.
At the time of reporting, the footballer’s representatives had not yet given an immediate reaction to the developments. The case risks affecting Mbappé’s relationship with the Chinese market, where local and international companies invest considerable sums in marketing deals with world sports stars.