Chinese companies end business ties with Mbappé over controversial statement

Several Chinese companies have ended their commercial partnerships with Kylian Mbappé, the star of Real Madrid, following his comments about satirical images comparing his face to that of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, according to the Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo."

The Dongbing Group has announced, alongside dairy product companies Mengniu and Milkground, the termination of its collaboration with French player Kylian Mbappé. Dongbing confirmed in a statement via the Chinese Weibo platform the immediate end of its commercial relations with Mbappé, justifying its decision by rejecting behaviors that hurt national sentiments, without specifying the incident that led to this action.

The decisions came after comments made by Mbappé during a recent interview, where he was asked about his favorite funny image. He said: "The picture that made me laugh the most is the one where they use my face on a picture of a Chinese dictator; I use it a lot with my friends." The player did not explicitly mention any leader, while a meme featuring his face superimposed on a picture of Mao Zedong has circulated widely.

The Spanish newspaper noted that advertisements for "Bo Shuai La" promoted by Mbappé have appeared frequently in Chinese cities over the past months, especially during the FIFA World Cup 2026. Additionally, the company "Milkground" has used his image in its commercial campaigns, and "Mengniu" is one of the largest dairy product groups in China, with connections to sponsoring international sporting events.

Recent developments highlight a series of disputes involving Spanish clubs in China. Real Madrid faced media criticism in September due to a post discussing Nepal and the Tibet region, while FC Barcelona issued an apology in April after the flag of Taiwan appeared on a page linked to its international academy managed by a third party.

Last February, Real Madrid published an apology attributed to their defender Dean Huijsen via "Weibo", after he reposted content described as racist and offensive to Asian citizens. Mockery of former leaders and figures associated with the ruling Communist Party in China is subject to legal action under the defamation of heroes and martyrs.