Why is Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe at the centre of a row with China?

Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe has apologised over remarks about late Chinese leader Mao Zedong that cost him commercial deals in China, Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday. China’s state television has also halted broadcasts of all matches and events involving La Liga and Mbappe, The Paper reported.

A video circulated online showed Mbappe apparently joking about a former Chinese leader, without naming Mao. Chinese drinks giant Dongpeng terminated its contract with Mbappe “with immediate effect”, while dairy producer Mengniu also cut ties. In a statement, Mbappe said: “My comment was ill-judged and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world.”

China’s foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said on Wednesday: “We take seriously the apology the individual concerned has made.” Real Madrid also issued an apology to the Chinese people, while La Liga President Javier Tebas said he met China’s ambassador in Spain to “seek solutions that allow us to overcome this episode”.