Chinese brands drop Mbappé over alleged Mao Zedong joke

French football star Kylian Mbappé has lost partnerships with two major Chinese brands, Dongpeng and Mengniu, following the circulation of a video in which he allegedly joked about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

In the footage, the Real Madrid forward reportedly described an internet meme featuring his face photoshopped onto that of a man he believed was a Chinese dictator.

Mao, China’s founding leader, died in 1976. Jokes about him are considered disrespectful and remain a social taboo in the country.

Dongpeng, a major Chinese drinks company, announced that it was ending its partnership with the 27-year-old footballer, saying it had a zero-tolerance policy towards behaviour that offends national sentiments.

Mengniu, China’s largest dairy producer, also announced the termination of its cooperation with Mbappé, stating that it opposed words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.

Dongqiudi, one of China’s biggest online football platforms, also criticised the alleged remarks in a statement on Monday evening, saying they were offensive to China and its people and had hurt the feelings of Chinese football fans.