Mbappe apologizes as China suspends La Liga broadcasts and freezes social media accounts

Chinese officials confirmed on Wednesday that they are treating Kylian Mbappe's recent apology with seriousness. The statement came after the Real Madrid striker faced intense backlash over remarks made in a French television interview. The comments, which have since been removed from the broadcast, concerned a digital meme. In the clip, Mbappe described finding it amusing that his face was placed on an image of a Chinese dictator. He was referring to Mao Zedong, a figure whose ridicule is generally considered taboo in China.

The player issued a formal apology on Tuesday in French, Chinese, and English. He acknowledged that his words had caused hurt to people in China and in Chinese communities around the world. The France captain labeled the comment as ill-judged. Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, addressed the matter at a regular briefing on Wednesday. He stated, "We take seriously the apology the individual concerned has made."

The controversy has already resulted in tangible commercial consequences for the player and the Spanish football league. CMG, the organization that oversees the public broadcaster CCTV, announced a suspension of coverage for La Liga. This league is currently the second-richest in the world, trailing only England's Premier League. La Liga officials expressed deep regret for the offense caused to Chinese supporters by the striker's comments.

Several major brands have ended their partnerships with Mbappe. Beverage company Dongpeng, which used AI-generated images of the player in World Cup advertisements, terminated its agreement on Tuesday. Dairy firms Mengniu and Milkground also dropped their deals with the 27-year-old. On Chinese social media, the player continued to face heavy criticism on Wednesday. This included racist comments from internet users. His account on Xiaohongshu, where he holds over a million followers, was frozen. His Weibo account was also suspended, with a notice citing violations of laws or community rules.

Retailers have begun adjusting their inventory in response to the backlash. During a visit to Adidas's flagship store in Beijing's Sanlitun shopping district, Real Madrid shirts were available for sale. However, none of the displayed shirts carried Mbappe's name. Unofficial merchandise featuring the striker, including beanies and caps, remained available through the Taobao retail app. Chinese media reported that fashion brands Dior and Hublot had deleted content involving him from their Weibo pages.

The incident follows a period of high popularity for Mbappe in China. State media previously praised his footballing ability, and his image appeared on billboards and drinks. Fans have affectionately called him "Guigui," meaning turtle, due to a resemblance to a character from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films. The current dispute echoes a previous event in 2019. At that time, NBA sponsorship agreements were suspended and state television stopped showing games for a year after Houston Rockets executive Daryl Morey posted support for Hong Kong protesters. The official People's Daily published an opinion piece this week stating that international celebrities must respect other countries' history, cultures, and national sentiments.