China Power | Society | East Asia

The Lasting Price of Mbappé’s Apology to China

The commercial fallout for Real Madrid may be temporary, but the precedent for censoring speech beyond China’s borders is far more consequential.

A footballer’s joke about an internet meme has become a demonstration of China’s ability to influence speech far beyond its borders. During a casual interview, French football star Kylian Mbappé described a meme depicting his face superimposed onto Mao Zedong’s body as showing a “Chinese dictator.” The joke was directed at himself, playing on fans’ perceptions of his influence over the teams he plays for. Yet within days, three Chinese sponsors had terminated their partnerships with him, Chinese broadcasters had suspended football coverage, and Mbappé, La Liga, and Real Madrid had all issued apologies.

Whether these apologies will restore their commercial relationships in China remains uncertain. Chinese authorities and businesses may eventually decide that resuming cooperation serves their interests. What is already apparent, however, is the precedent established for freedom of expression. A French athlete, speaking in a non-political context outside China, has publicly apologized for referring to a historical political leader as a dictator. The incident illustrates how China’s economic influence enables political censorship to operate across national borders without necessarily requiring direct government orders. Foreign individuals and institutions need not be subject to Chinese law for their speech to be constrained by Beijing’s political expectations. Their commercial dependence on the Chinese market can be sufficient.

Following the circulation of Mbappé’s remarks, Chinese beverage company Dongpeng announced the termination of its partnership with him. Dairy companies Mengniu and Milkground soon followed, issuing similarly worded statements condemning remarks that “hurt national sentiment.” Chinese media platforms and broadcasters imposed further restrictions. The responses unfolded rapidly, even though the original controversy concerned neither the products these companies sold nor the services they provided.

There is no solid evidence that Chinese authorities individually instructed these companies to terminate their agreements. In China’s political and commercial environment, however, businesses have incentives to anticipate official sensitivities and demonstrate loyalty before being asked. Once one company publicly takes a position, others may perceive a need to respond with comparable or greater severity. Silence, or a comparatively restrained response, can become a reputational liability.

This creates a system of competitive political loyalty in which businesses and public institutions reinforce one another’s responses. Political conformity becomes part of commercial calculations. The immediate cost of abandoning a lucrative endorsement may be outweighed by the perceived risks of political disapproval, consumer backlash, or accusations of insufficient patriotism. The resulting pressure is particularly effective because it is decentralized. The state need not supervise every act of censorship when institutions have strong incentives to enforce political boundaries themselves.

China’s Foreign Ministry subsequently elevated the controversy into a matter of national dignity. “Any rhetoric or action that hurts the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be rejected across the sectors in China,” spokesperson Guo Jiakun declared. What began as a footballer’s description of an internet joke was transformed into an alleged offense against a nation. 

Such rhetoric presents the Communist........

© The Diplomat