World

Mbappé apologizes for joke about Mao Zedong

French footballer Kylian Mbappé apologized on Tuesday after a video spread online in which, according to France 24, he appears to joke about Mao Zedong, China's former leader. The companies Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground have announced that they are ending their cooperation with him. Dongpeng stated that it is terminating all contracts immediately and has zero tolerance for conduct that offends national sentiments. In a statement, Mbappé said his remark was ill-considered and that he has deep respect for the Chinese people. According to Chinese media, CCTV will stop broadcasting La Liga matches, and a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said such words "will naturally meet with resistance."