Three Chinese Companies End Deals After Mbappe Comments

At least three Chinese companies announced Tuesday they were ending agreements with French soccer captain Kylian Mbappe, a week after his face appeared in advertising across China, from subway stations to elevator doors in residential buildings.

Beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy producer Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground issued similarly worded statements saying they oppose "any words and actions that hurt national sentiment." The companies did not identify what prompted the decisions, which came after a clip circulated on X appearing to show Mbappe interviewed before an appearance on the French online talk show "The Bridge." In the video, Mbappe is asked about his favorite meme of himself and answers, "a video someone made of a guy .. I think he was a Chinese dictator." The clip then shows an altered image placing Mbappe's face on the blue-suited body of Mao Zedong.

Soccer fans online have for years referred to Mbappe as a dictator, and images casting him as Mao or other autocratic leaders circulate widely. The Associated Press was unable to reach Mbappe's representatives for comment. Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in response to a question about the controversy 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 Mbappe ended on Dec. 31, 2024, and that it would remove related promotional materials. The company also expressed opposition to "any conduct that hurts national sentiment." Mbappe's account on the platform was not accepting new followers Tuesday. Mbappe has appeared in campaigns in China for products ranging from electrolyte drinks to milk and cheese. In one Dongpeng commercial he delivers a slogan in Chinese; in a Mengniu advertisement he appears alongside Argentine star Lionel Messi.

On Chinese social media, hashtags including "Dongpeng ends partnership with Mbappe" and "Several brands end partnerships with Mbappe" topped Weibo's trending list. "Football fans boycott Mbappe" was also trending, with some users criticizing his remarks or telling him not to come to China.