'I apologize to everyone': Mbappé reacts to 'Chinese dictator' controversy

Kylian Mbappe (AFP Photo)

Kylian Mbappé has apologised after comments about a meme featuring Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong sparked anger in China. The controversy has also cost the French football star partnerships with three Chinese companies, while criticism of his remarks spread across Chinese social media.“My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world,” Mbappé said in a statement Tuesday.

“I apologize to everyone my words have upset," he said. "This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry."

Brands End Partnerships With Mbappé

Chinese beverage company Dongpeng, dairy producer Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground announced on Tuesday that they were ending their agreements with the footballer.

All three companies issued similar statements opposing “any words and actions that hurt national sentiment”.The decisions followed the circulation of a video on X that appeared to show Mbappé discussing his favourite internet meme during an interview ahead of his appearance on the French online talk show The Bridge.Asked about the meme, Mbappé described it as “a video someone made of a guy ... I think he was a Chinese dictator”.

The clip then showed an edited image placing his face on the body of Mao Zedong.Football fans often jokingly portray Mbappé as a dictator in online memes because of his larger-than-life presence in the sport. However, Mao remains a sensitive historical figure in China.

He led the Communist Party to victory in the Chinese civil war and founded the People's Republic of China in 1949. While many still revere him, his rule also included disastrous policies, including the Great Leap Forward, which contributed to a famine that killed an estimated 30 million people.

Social media backlash grows

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun also commented on the controversy, saying that “words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with joint opposition from all sectors of Chinese society.”Social media platform RedNote said its content partnership with Mbappé had ended on December 31, 2024, and announced it would “remove related promotional materials.” His account was also blocked from gaining new followers.Meanwhile, hashtags calling for boycotts and reporting the brands' decisions topped Weibo's trending charts, with some users criticising Mbappé and urging him not to visit China.