China justifies brands’ termination of Mbappé sponsorship deals after Mao joke
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Daily Post
China’s Foreign Ministry defended on Tuesday the termination of Kylian Mbappé’s sponsorship contracts by several Chinese brands, after the player joked about Mao Zedong. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said remarks that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people would be rejected, while the Real Madrid striker apologised, according to the Daily Post.
China’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday justified the termination of sponsorship contracts linking several major Chinese brands to Kylian Mbappé, after the French footballer joked about Mao Zedong. “Any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be rejected in all sectors in China,” spokesperson Guo Jiakun said, according to the Daily Post.
Dairy group Mengniu, drinks maker Dongpeng and cheese producer Milkground have ended their agreements with the Real Madrid striker. The controversy began with a video in which Mbappé, asked about his favourite meme, mentioned a doctored image of his face placed on the body of Mao Zedong, founder of communist China.
Mbappé apologised on Tuesday, saying his “ill-considered” remark had hurt many people in China and Chinese communities around the world. He also expressed his respect for the Chinese people and their history, the Daily Post reports.
