Mbappé Storm: China Boycott and Economic Fallout

In depth

Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé has been hit with a commercial boycott in China following a joke about Mao Zedong. According to Channel 14, the companies Dongpeng and Mengniu announced an end to their cooperation with him. According to Israel Hayom, state television suspended broadcasts of the Spanish league. According to ONE, China announced a boycott of Mbappé.

Mbappé published an apology, in which he wrote: "I did not mean to offend, the things were said without careful consideration." According to Israel Hayom, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it treats the apology seriously. According to Maariv, China has not committed to lifting the boycott, and broadcasts of matches in the country are still suspended.

The president of the Spanish league apologized in Chinese and promised not to allow damage to relations. According to ONE, Real Madrid issued a statement in which it wrote that it 'holds deep respect for China', and according to Bizportal, three Chinese brands cut ties with Mbappé.