China suspends La Liga broadcasts following Mbappe apology

China suspended broadcasts of La Liga on Wednesday after foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the country took Kylian Mbappe’s apology seriously. The Real Madrid forward faced commercial penalties and digital restrictions following a remark that drew sharp criticism from Chinese officials and fans.

The controversy began with a clip from a French interview on The Bridge, which has since been removed. Mbappe described a meme as funny that digitally placed his face on a figure he identified as a Chinese dictator, referring to Mao Zedong. Criticizing the former leader is a cultural taboo in China, where historians attribute millions of deaths to his tenure.

Mbappe issued an apology on Tuesday in French, Chinese, and English. He called his comment ill-judged and acknowledged that it hurt people in China and Chinese communities abroad. Guo Jiakun confirmed the diplomatic response during a regular briefing on Wednesday.

Central Media Group, which operates public broadcaster CCTV, announced the suspension of coverage for the Spanish league. The league is the world’s second-richest football competition behind England’s Premier League. La Liga expressed deep regret for the offense caused to Chinese supporters.

Sponsors withdrew support from the 27-year-old player on Tuesday. Beverage company Dongpeng ended its partnership after using AI-generated images of Mbappe in World Cup advertising. Dairy firms Mengniu and Milkground also dropped their agreements. Chinese internet users continued to criticize the player on Wednesday, including with racist comments.

Mbappe’s social media presence was restricted. His Weibo account was frozen with a notice citing violations of laws or community rules. His Xiaohongshu account, which has more than one million followers, was also frozen. Dior and Hublot removed content featuring him from Weibo, according to searches of their pages using his Chinese name.

The impact reached retail locations in Beijing. Adidas shirts were sold at a flagship store in the Sanlitun district, but none displayed Mbappe’s name. Unofficial merchandise featuring the striker remained available on the Taobao app. People’s Daily published an opinion piece this week stating that international celebrities must respect other nations’ history and sentiments. The episode mirrors the 2019 suspension of NBA broadcasts after Daryl Morey supported Hong Kong protesters.