Mbappe joked about Mao Zedong meme, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded

After French football superstar Kylian Mbappé talked about a meme that combined himself with former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, sparking controversy in Chinese public opinion, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on the 27th that any words or deeds that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will be unanimously opposed by all sectors of Chinese society.

Agence France-Presse reported that Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun responded to relevant incidents at a regular press conference on the 27th: "We have noticed the relevant reports. Words and deeds that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be unanimously opposed by all walks of life in Chinese society."

The controversy started when Mbappe was interviewed by the online talk show "The Bridge". When talking about his favorite meme, he mentioned a picture of his face superimposed on the body of a "Chinese dictator" and said that this meme made him laugh and often used it when playing games with friends. The program then showed a picture of Mbappe's face superimposed onto an image of Mao Zedong.

Mbappe did not directly name Mao Zedong in this conversation, but the meme in the picture caused Chinese online public opinion to link his statement to Mao Zedong, triggering criticism.

China Central Television had earlier announced that it would stop broadcasting related games involving La Liga and Mbappe, and Chinese companies such as Dongpeng Beverage, Mengniu Dairy and Mioclando also announced the termination of cooperation with him.