The butterfly effect. Or how a simple joke takes on enormous proportions, to the point of tickling the highest level of the Chinese state and shaking the powerful Spanish Liga. Despite himself, Kylian Mbappé found himself at the heart of a controversy resembling a diplomatic incident this Tuesday, the day after the Ballon d'Or ceremony. Return, in five questions, on the ins and outs of this astonishing episode.
Why did Mbappé create controversy?
In a video which quickly disappeared from social networks, the captain of the France team is questioned, for The Bridge, about the hijackings in which we see him as a dictator. He admits that “the one where (he laughed) the most” represents him as a “Chinese dictator”. In this case, the montages and memes in question represent him as Mao Zedong, president of the People's Republic of China from 1949 to 1959 but actually in power until his death in 1976, as president of the Chinese Communist Party. Single party, concentration of powers, purges... In the West, it is not uncommon to describe Mao as a dictator. At the head of the Chinese state, the vision is obviously a little different…
What consequences?
Several partners turned their backs on Kylian Mbappé this Tuesday, in this case Dongpeng (drinks), Mengniu (dairy products) and Milkground (cheese), evoking “zero tolerance” for messages “which offend national feelings”. Three fewer sponsors for “KM”, vilified on Chinese social networks. A chasm for Mbappé, when we know the weight of the Chinese market and his popularity within the Middle Kingdom. The controversy has reached the top of the state. “Any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people are naturally met with common rejection from the entire Chinese society,” swears a spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, Guo Jiakun.
Did Kylian Mbappé react?
The Real striker released a press release. “I apologize to all those who were offended by my words. That was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry, he said in French, English and Mandarin. During a recent interview, I reacted to an image of myself portraying myself. This comment was clumsy, and I understand today that it hurt many people in China and within the Chinese community around the world,” he added.
How is La Liga handling the situation?
As reported by certain Chinese sources, public television CCTV has decided to suspend the broadcast of all La Liga matches involving Kylian Mbappé and even to remove all advertisements featuring him. Difficult to confirm these allegations, but La Liga is trembling. The proof with this press release published this Tuesday: “We deeply regret the statements of Kylian Mbappé which caused discomfort and offense in China. We understand the harm caused and, on behalf of LALIGA, I would like to send our sincere apologies to the Chinese people,” explains La Liga president Javier Tebas.
And continued: “We cannot allow any individual act to tarnish this relationship or harm the more than 20 clubs in our professional competitions and millions of Chinese fans. We are adopting the measures within our reach and working directly with our partners and interlocutors in China to overcome this situation. Our commitment to China, its people and its institutions is firm. A relationship built over so many years cannot be damaged by an individual episode.
Has China already blacklisted sports stars?
Yes. The NBA particularly paid the price. Before returning to Macau for a preseason match a few weeks ago, the North American basketball league had long been at odds with China following the pro-Hong Kong statements of the man who was the sports director of the Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey, in 2019. CCTV opted for the black screen policy for a year, regular broadcasts only gradually resuming before this preseason match marking the warming of relations. La Liga therefore hopes to avoid this kind of inconvenience by “letting go” Kylian Mbappé.
