China's Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that it values French footballer KylianMbappé's apology for his comments on a "meme" that referenced MaoZedong, but remained silent on whether such apologies will be enough to lift the boycott that has been imposed against the Real Madrid forward.
The controversy arose when Mbappé, in an interview, revealed that one of his favorite “memes” was an image that superimposed his face on that of MaoZedong, without explicitly mentioning the leader. The player called the incident a “slip” and apologized in French, Chinese and English, acknowledging that his words had offended people in China and Chinese communities abroad, and expressed his “deep respect” for the Chinese people and history.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman GuoJiakun responded to a question about Beijing's reaction by saying: "We attach importance to the apology made by the person involved." When asked if the apology could put an end to the measures taken, Guo reiterated the same answer without detailing what further actions would be necessary.
The repercussions of the incident were swift and widespread. Chinese companies such as Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground broke commercial agreements with the club. In addition, the China Media Group (CMG) suspended the broadcast of LaLiga and matches related to Mbappé, and demanded public apologies from the player, Real Madrid and the Spanish league. LaLiga, for its part, apologized for the offense and its president, JavierTebas, held a meeting with the Chinese ambassador to Spain, YaoJing, to seek a solution and prevent the controversy from affecting the cooperation agreements with China, whom it considers a "strategic partner."
With the situation still ongoing, the next steps will depend on Beijing's response to Mbappé's apology and the negotiations between the Chinese authorities, LaLiga and Real Madrid. Meanwhile, the suspension of broadcasts and restrictions on player content remain in force, maintaining uncertainty over when normality will be restored to football relations between Spain and China.