China offended by Kylian Mbappé, who called Mao Zedong a dictator

Mbappé was forced to apologize for his "ill-considered" remarks about the country's former leader. The management of La Liga — the top division of Spanish football — also apologized, writes BBC.

"My comment was ill-considered. I now realize it offended many people — both in China itself and in Chinese communities around the world. I apologize to everyone who may have been upset by my words," Mbappé's statement reads.

The video that spread online is a recording of a French talk show "The Bridge," on which Mbappé was a guest. In a conversation with the hosts, the footballer commented on memes that portray him as a dictator.

Mbappé said that the meme that made him laugh the most was the one where his face was superimposed on a portrait of "some guy — a Chinese dictator, it seems." "I constantly use it in communication with my friends," Mbappé said.

On air, the program's creators showed this meme. The image shows the footballer's face superimposed on an image resembling Mao Zedong.

Mbappé did not name Mao Zedong by name, and the original video of this "The Bridge" episode has already been removed from the program's YouTube channel, but screenshots managed to spread across Chinese social networks.

In China, any jokes about Mao are considered a sign of disrespect and remain a kind of social taboo.

"Our company strongly opposes any behavior that offends national sentiments and adheres to a policy of absolute intolerance for such actions. We are immediately terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappé," reads the statement from beverage producer Dongpeng.

Mengniu, China's largest dairy product manufacturer, also terminated its contract with Mbappé. "Mengniu strongly opposes any statements or actions that offend the feelings of the Chinese people and adheres to a policy of absolute intolerance for such manifestations," the company stated.

Even China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented on the situation. Official representative Lin Jian stated: "We have noted the relevant reports. Words and actions that offend the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally meet with resistance from all sectors of Chinese society."

As reported by the Chinese publication The Paper on Tuesday, state television company CCTV has decided to suspend broadcasts of Spanish La Liga matches.

La Liga has already issued its apologies, noting that it "deeply regrets that Kylian Mbappé's recent statements have caused dissatisfaction among Chinese fans."

Prior to this incident, Mbappé enjoyed immense popularity among Chinese fans: millions of people subscribed to his social media pages.

In China, Mbappé is affectionately called "Guigui," which translates to "turtle."

On the internet, Mbappé is often compared to one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The footballer received the nickname "turtle" several years ago from Brazilian footballer Thiago Silva, who gifted Mbappé a Ninja Turtle mask.

During the World Cup, an advertisement was broadcast in China where an image of Mbappé drinking a Dongpeng brand sports drink was created using artificial intelligence technology.

After the video with Mbappé's statement was published online, a wave of criticism quickly arose: users condemned the footballer for "profiting from the Chinese market while allowing himself to make statements that offend the Chinese public."

Mao is a key political figure for China in the 20th century. He led the Communist Party of China and was the country's leader — from the proclamation of the People's Republic of China in 1949 until his death in 1976. Mao Zedong initiated such large-scale campaigns in China as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, which transformed the country's economy and social structure, but their implementation was accompanied by immense casualties — millions died from starvation and repression.

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