China Suspends La Liga Coverage After Mbappe Comments
Sponsors and social media restrictions followed the Real Madrid forward's remarks about Mao Zedong.
By Rebecca Foster ·
Chinese state broadcaster CMG said Wednesday it would stop airing La Liga matches after Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe made comments about Mao Zedong in an interview. The same day, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said of Mbappe's apology: "We take seriously the apology the individual has made."
The trouble began with a clip from the French show The Bridge that has since been pulled. Mbappe described laughing at a meme that put his face on a figure he called a Chinese dictator, apparently a reference to Mao. Criticism of Mao, whom historians hold responsible for millions of deaths, remains off limits in China.
Mbappe apologized on Tuesday in French, Chinese and English, saying his words had hurt people in China and Chinese communities abroad. He called the remark ill-judged. La Liga also said it regretted the offense caused to Chinese supporters.
Dongpeng ended its deal with Mbappe on Tuesday. Mengniu and Milkground, both dairy companies, also dropped partnerships with the 27-year-old. His accounts on Xiaohongshu and Weibo were frozen, with Weibo citing violations of its rules. Dior and Hublot removed posts mentioning him, and an AFP search of their pages using his Chinese name turned up nothing.
At an Adidas flagship store in Beijing's Sanlitun district, Real Madrid shirts were on display Wednesday without Mbappe's name. His jerseys and caps were still listed on the Taobao shopping app.
Mbappe has been popular in China for years, where state media have praised his play and his face has appeared on billboards and drinks. Fans call him "Guigui," meaning turtle, for a resemblance to a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character. The People's Daily wrote in an opinion piece this week that celebrities working abroad must respect other countries' history, cultures, customs and national sentiments. In October 2019, China suspended NBA sponsorships and pulled the league from state television for a year after Houston Rockets executive Daryl Morey voiced support for Hong Kong protesters.
