Two Chinese companies end their collaboration with Mbappe

Two major Chinese companies, Dongpeng Beverages and Mengniu Dairy, have ended their partnership with French star Kylian Mbappé following the circulation of a video attributed to him containing a sarcastic gesture interpreted as a reference to former Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Both companies announced the termination of their business relationships with the French national team captain, emphasizing their rejection of any statements or actions deemed offensive to Chinese national sentiments. The move came after a wave of controversy on Chinese social media platforms, with a hashtag related to Dongpeng's termination of its partnership with Mbappé trending on Weibo. Dongpeng had used promotional images of Mbappé in its advertising campaigns, including AI-generated images of the player drinking one of its sports products. Mengniu, one of China's leading dairy companies, also had an advertising partnership with the Real Madrid striker, who enjoys a massive following among Chinese fans. The controversy stems from a widely circulated video in which Mbappé discusses a satirical online image that he says made him laugh. He points out that his face was superimposed onto a picture of someone he describes as a Chinese dictator. The reference is understood to be to Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China, who died in 1976, and whose image is considered a sensitive subject in the country.