BEIJING, Oct 27 – Kylian Mbappe was dropped on Tuesday (Oct 27) by two major brands in China after a video circulated online in which the French football star apparently joked about former leader Mao Zedong.
In China jokes about Mao, the country’s founding leader who died in 1976, are considered disrespectful and remain a social taboo.
“Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments,” drinks giant Dongpeng said in a statement, adding that “with immediate effect we are terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappe”.
Mengniu, China’s largest dairy producer, also cut ties with the Real Madrid and France forward.
