Kylian Mbappé's criticism of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong: what harm did it cause?
Kylian Mbappé, forward for Real Madrid and captain of the French national team, issued an apology after a clip of an interview in which he appeared to joke about Mao Zedong, former Chinese president, spread widely across Chinese social media.
He stated that his words lacked judgment and caused pain to many Chinese people both in China and worldwide. He released a statement in French, Chinese, and English, saying:
“My words were made without careful consideration. I understand now that they caused pain to many people both in China and among Chinese communities globally. I apologize to everyone affected.”
According to Euronews, Mbappé spoke on the French program The Bridge, where he was asked about a meme calling him a "dictator." He replied that the funniest meme was a video of a man he believed to be a "Chinese dictator."
The program then showed a meme that superimposed his face onto an image resembling Mao. Reports noted that Mbappé did not explicitly name Mao Zedong, but the edited image clearly identified the communist leader.
This controversy sparked heavy criticism on Chinese social media, while many Chinese brands quickly canceled sponsorship deals with Mbappé and removed his photos from their products.
Euronews explained that in China, joking about Mao Zedong, who died in 1976, is considered disrespectful and such mockery may be illegal under Chinese law.
This incident serves as an important lesson for Mbappé, one he will likely remember for a long time.