Watch Your Mouth, Mbappé!
Kylian Mbappé’s mouth has landed him in trouble. After making Mao Zedong the subject of a joke, the Real Madrid striker has faced a boycott in China. Two major brands have even ended their contracts with the French forward.
According to detikSport, Chinese brands Dongpeng and Mengniu ended their partnerships with Mbappé after a video circulated showing him joking about Mao Zedong.
Mbappé mentioned Mao when asked about his favourite meme in a short question-and-answer video. The former Paris Saint-Germain striker said he often used the meme as a joke with his teammates.
Mbappé, who has recently been mocked for acting like a dictator at Real Madrid, immediately named Mao Zedong.
“Is it the one where my face is pasted over the face of a Chinese dictator (Mao Zedong)? That really makes me laugh. I often use that picture with my friends,” Kylian Mbappé said, laughing.
Mao Zedong was a revolutionary figure and the founder of the People’s Republic of China. He established the communist state as it is known today in 1949, after the Chinese Civil War.
In China, mocking Mao is considered an insult to the nation’s founder, and many people would not dare to do so. Mbappé’s remark has therefore had serious repercussions.
Two major Chinese brands swiftly took action. Dongpeng, a Chinese energy-drink brand, ended its contract with Mbappé.
“Our company firmly opposes, and has a zero-tolerance policy towards, any behaviour that offends national sentiment,” Dongpeng said in a statement.
Mengniu also condemned Mbappé. The dairy-drink producer said his words had hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.
“Our company is immediately ending all cooperation with Kylian Mbappé,” Mengniu said in a statement.
“Mengniu firmly opposes, and has a zero-tolerance policy towards, any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people,” it added.
The two producers had previously featured Mbappé in their campaigns during last summer’s tournament. With young people as their target market, the 27-year-old striker was expected to help boost sales.
Real Madrid steps in
After his joke about Mao sparked widespread repercussions, Mbappé apologised. Real Madrid also apologised to the Chinese people.
“Real Madrid C.F. wishes to apologise to the Chinese people for any offence that may have been caused by the recent remarks of our player, Kylian Mbappé,” the club said in a statement.
“Our club has great respect for China, its history, culture and people, as well as for the millions of fans in China who love and admire Real Madrid.”
“The club also offers its public apology, as Kylian Mbappé has done, expressing regret for his words and reaffirming his respect for the Chinese people.”
Real Madrid said it had apologised in the spirit of respect and intercultural harmony, and hoped that ties of friendship would continue to improve.
“Real Madrid reiterates its commitment to the values of respect, coexistence and intercultural understanding, and expresses its desire to continue strengthening the bonds of friendship and affection that unite the club with the people of China,” the club’s statement concluded.
China is one of the markets that contributes to Real Madrid’s economy, accounting for 10 to 15 per cent of the club’s international merchandise sales.
China remains cool
Mbappé’s apology has not yet softened China’s stance. Asked about the apology, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun gave a brief response.
“We take seriously the apology made by the party concerned,” he said, as quoted by Spanish media outlet EFE.
When asked whether the apology would resolve the matter, Guo simply repeated the same answer.
The fallout has extended beyond the termination of Mbappé’s contracts. The boycott campaign in China has also spread to LaLiga and Real Madrid.
China has threatened to boycott broadcasts of the Spanish league and Real Madrid matches. LaLiga and the club have also issued apologies in response.
China Media Group (CMG) has received Real Madrid’s and LaLiga’s formal apologies to China over Mbappé’s actions. It accepted them and broadcast them to the public, but has yet to decide whether to withdraw its threat to suspend broadcasts.