Chinese brands drop Mbappe over ‘offending national sentiments’

Major Chinese brands, including Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground, ended their partnerships with Kylian Mbappe after a video circulated in which he appeared to joke about a meme depicting him as Mao Zedong. Dongpeng said it would not tolerate behaviour that offends national sentiments, while Weibo users called for Mbappe’s image to be removed from its products. State media reported that CCTV had suspended broadcasts of La Liga matches and removed advertisements featuring the footballer. China’s foreign ministry said remarks that hurt the feelings of Chinese people would face widespread rejection in society.