Mbappe loses two major China sponsors over joke about Mao Zedong
French footballer Kylian Mbappe was dropped on Tuesday by two major brands in China after a video in which he apparently joked about former leader Mao Zedong. Drinks company Dongpeng and dairy producer Mengniu both announced an end to their cooperation.
Kylian Mbappe, the forward for Spain's Real Madrid and the France national team, was dropped on Tuesday by two major sponsors in China. The cause is a video circulating online in which the footballer apparently joked about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Both companies ended their ties with immediate effect, which could affect his commercial standing in one of the world's biggest markets.
Company statements
Chinese drinks company Dongpeng said it firmly opposes any behaviour that offends national sentiments and applies a zero-tolerance policy. It stated that it was ending all cooperation with Mbappe immediately.
Mengniu, China's largest dairy producer, took the same step. Its statement said the company was terminating all cooperation with the player with immediate effect and firmly opposes any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.
What the video showed
The video emerged online and features Mbappe saying that the funniest internet meme he had seen showed his face photoshopped onto that of "some guy -- I think he's a Chinese dictator". This was apparently a reference to a meme placing his face over an image of Mao. There are several such memes that use the footballer's face alongside other historical figures.
AFP Fact Check, the news agency's verification service, could not immediately confirm the video's authenticity.
Reaction on social media
On Weibo, a major Chinese social media site, the top-trending topic was the news that Dongpeng Beverage had ended its cooperation with Mbappe.
On Monday, the 27-year-old Mbappe lost out to Harry Kane in the race for the Ballon d'Or award.
