French star cited Mao Zedong composite image as funniest meme in interview

Chinese firms cancel endorsement deals; CCTV pulls his matches from broadcast

Foreign Ministry warns those who hurt Chinese people's feelings 'will be rejected'

Kylian Mbappe. [AP]
Kylian Mbappe. [AP]

French football star Kylian Mbappe, 27, of Real Madrid has sparked fierce backlash in China after naming a composite internet image mocking Mao Zedong — revered in China as the founding father of the nation — as the funniest meme of himself. Chinese companies have moved swiftly to cancel endorsement deals, state broadcaster CCTV has pulled his matches from its schedule, and China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has publicly criticized the player.

The controversy began Monday, when Mbappe gave an interview to a French media outlet, according to Chinese media reports Tuesday.

Asked which internet meme featuring his face he found the funniest, Mbappe said it was "the one where my face is superimposed on the face of the Chinese dictator," referring to Mao Zedong.

He added that he often uses the meme when playing games with friends.

A meme is a piece of content — typically a photo or video — that is altered and shared online for humor or satire.

Mbappe's assertive, self-confident public image has made him a frequent subject of composite images online, with his face placed over those of authoritarian rulers and military figures from various countries. An image merging his face with Mao's had already been circulating online before the interview.

But Mbappe's direct endorsement of that image as his favorite meme turned public sentiment in China sharply negative.

Chinese social media erupted with criticism that Mbappe had damaged the "national sentiment" of the Chinese people. The backlash intensified because Mao — a towering figure in modern Chinese history — had been caricatured, and because Mbappe used the word "dictator" to describe him.

Chinese companies responded immediately.

Major dairy company Mengniu, along with beverage firms Dongfeng, Bushuilai and Milk Ground, each issued statements announcing they were terminating their advertising and business partnerships with Mbappe.

CCTV also suspended all broadcasts of Mbappe's matches starting Monday and pulled every advertisement featuring him from its programming.

As the controversy spread, the Chinese government stepped in with a public statement.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, responding to a question about Mbappe's remarks at a regular briefing Tuesday, said that "words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally face the collective rejection of all sectors of Chinese society."

Mao Zedong led the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 and is held up by the Chinese Communist Party and government as a symbol of the nation's establishment. In China, any mockery or criticism of Mao is treated as a politically sensitive matter.


sjy@heraldcorp.com