Chinese firms Dongpeng and Mengniu end Mbappé deals over Mao meme remarks

Two Chinese brands end their deals

Dongpeng, a beverage group, and Mengniu, which the Guardian describes as China's largest dairy producer, announced on Tuesday, 27 October that they were ending all cooperation with Kylian Mbappé with immediate effect. Dongpeng posted its notices on Weibo through its main account and through the Bu Shui La brand. Reports also say Milkground, which had used the striker's image in its campaigns, ended its ties the same day. Bu Shui La advertisements featuring Mbappé had appeared often on bus stops, public transport and lifts in Chinese cities, especially during the 2026 World Cup.

Dongpeng's statement put the decision in one line:

“Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments.”

The interview and the video

The row began with an interview on The Bridge, a YouTube programme hosted by the footballer Tchouameni. Asked for his favourite meme of his own face, Mbappé said the one he laughed at most placed his face on a Chinese dictator, and that he used it often with friends online. The clip was later removed from the show's social media accounts. The image he appeared to refer to superimposes his face on a portrait of Mao Zedong, one of many such edits using the French captain's face alongside other historical figures. Jokes about Mao, the country's founding leader who died in 1976, are regarded as disrespectful in China and remain a social taboo. AFP Fact Check could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the video that circulated online. Mbappé is 27 years old.

Backlash online and from a sports platform

Weibo users reacted quickly, and Dongpeng's decision became the platform's top trending topic. One user called the remarks extremely serious and said they had crossed a red line. Others urged Dongpeng to remove Mbappé's image from its energy drink bottles, and some commenters demanded that sports brands paying the striker cancel their contracts at once. Dongqiudi, one of China's largest online football outlets, said in a statement on Monday evening, 26 October, that the remarks were offensive to China and the Chinese people. Mengniu's notice used similar language:

“Mengniu firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.”

Political sensitivities

China's law against defaming heroes and martyrs can be applied to satire of former leaders and figures linked to the Chinese Communist Party. The Bu Shui La notice names no specific incident and, in a context of intense censorship on Chinese social media, only expresses firm opposition. The companies did not detail what prompted their decisions, and the Mbappé interview as reported did not name any Chinese leader.