Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground end commercial ties with Mbappé

Several Chinese companies announced on Tuesday that they were ending their commercial cooperation with Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid. Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground acted after the player acknowledged laughing at a meme depicting him as Mao Zedong.

Dongpeng Beverage Group announced an immediate break in its commercial ties with Mbappé in statements posted on Weibo. The company cited « zero tolerance for behaviour that hurts national feelings ». Mengniu and Milkground also said they were ending their cooperation with the footballer and rejected conduct that harms the feelings of the Chinese people.

In a recent interview, Mbappé was asked about his favourite meme. He replied: « The one that made me laugh the most is the one where they use my face on that of a Chinese dictator. I use it a lot with my friends. » The response circulated before the companies made their announcements. A topic about Dongpeng ending its cooperation with Mbappé became the top-trending subject on Weibo, while one user called the remarks « completely unacceptable » and said they had crossed a line.

Dongpeng also said it was ending all cooperation with the player with immediate effect. Mengniu, for its part, said it firmly opposed words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people. The company is among China’s leading dairy groups and has been linked to international sports partnerships, including those involving the football World Cup, the International Olympic Committee and Lionel Messi. Milkground, meanwhile, had used Mbappé’s image in its commercial campaigns.

The meme, which places Mbappé’s face over a portrait of Mao Zedong, has become popular on social media in recent months. In China, satire targeting former leaders and prominent figures associated with the Chinese Communist Party is pursued under the offence of « defaming heroes and martyrs ». The controversy comes amid a series of recent disputes involving Spanish football organisations in China: in September, Chinese state media criticised Real Madrid after a social-media post mentioned Nepal and the Tibet region together. In April, FC Barcelona apologised in China after an image containing Taiwan’s flag appeared on a page linked to its international academy and managed by a third party.