Sports
The repercussions of Kylian Mbappé's remarks about Mao Zedong continue to spark widespread controversy, shifting the focus from the French player to Real Madrid, which has faced criticism in China for its delayed response to the issue amid accusations of double standards. Mbappé angered many in China after jokingly referring to Mao Zedong as "the Chinese dictator," prompting him to quickly issue an apology following a wave of criticism across the country. The reactions extended beyond media coverage, as Chinese platforms removed images of the French star, and two Chinese companies, "Boshuila" beverages and "Mingniu" dairy products, terminated their collaborations with him. The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs commented briefly on Mbappé's apology, stating, "I have already answered this question. We appreciate the apology offered by the individual involved." The crisis also impacted Spanish football, with China partially suspending the broadcast of La Liga matches on its territory, leading the league's president to meet with the Chinese ambassador to Spain. Regarding Real Madrid, official Chinese media and government platforms accused the club of applying a "double standard" due to its differing handling of Mbappé's controversy compared to its previous stances on racism cases involving its player Vinícius Júnior. The club issued a public apology statement 48 hours after the controversy erupted, a delay considered unjustified by Chinese media given the sensitivity of the matter. These outlets pointed out that Real Madrid was swift in condemning racist incidents against Vinícius but initially remained silent on Mbappé's issue before later intervening, raising questions about the reasons behind this inconsistent response. Some reports linked the delay to the club's desire to balance "maintaining the commercial value of its star player" with "the benefits provided by the Chinese market." The Guangxi News newspaper warned that regaining trust will not be easy, emphasizing that the matter "will require concrete measures" from the Spanish club.
