At least three Chinese companies have cut ties with Kylian Mbappé after the French footballer made statements that appeared to refer to Mao Zedong, the founder of communist China, whom he described as a dictator. Beverage manufacturer Dongpeng, dairy group Mengniu and cheese company Milkground have announced the end of their deals with the French national team captain. The companies said they oppose “any words or behavior that hurt national sentiments.”
The decision came after a video was shared on social media in which Mbappé, during an interview before appearing on the French online show “The Bridge,” mentioned a meme depicting a Chinese dictator. The video then featured a manipulated image of the player, with his face superimposed over that of Mao Zedong. Social media platform RedNote also announced the removal of promotional materials related to the player. Meanwhile, hashtags related to the cessation of cooperation and boycott of Mbappé went viral on Weibo. The player’s representatives did not immediately comment.
