Mbappé Apologises to the Chinese People and Chinese Communities Worldwide over His Remarks; China Says It Values the Apology
French footballer Kylian Mbappé issued a statement on October 27 apologising to the Chinese people and to Chinese communities around the world for remarks he had made about China. Asked about the apology at the regular press conference on October 28, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that China values the apology made by the person concerned.
According to the Associated Press, a clip said to show Mbappé appearing on the French online talk show The Bridge circulated on social media, in which he joked about an internet meme that superimposed his face onto an image of Mao Zedong, the founding leader of the People's Republic of China, describing the figure as 'some guy, I think he was a Chinese dictator,' drawing criticism in China. In his statement, Mbappé said: 'My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world. I apologise to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry.'
The AP reported that three Chinese companies — beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese maker Milkground — announced on October 27 that they were ending their agreements with Mbappé, each stating that they oppose any words and actions that hurt national sentiment.
At the October 27 press conference, Guo had already commented on the termination of Mbappé's endorsement deals, saying that China had noted the relevant reports and that words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people would naturally be met with common rejection from all sectors of Chinese society.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：姆巴佩（中）在比赛中。照片：CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。Photo: Kylian Mbappé (centre) during a match. Photo: CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
