The "China Media Group" said in a statement: "Following the extremely serious remarks" made by the player, "the group has initiated, as of October 26, the suspension of the broadcast of La Liga matches, as well as all matches and advertisements in which the player appears."
The group also called on the Spanish club Real Madrid, for which Mbappe plays, to offer a "public apology as soon as possible."
The Spanish league quickly expressed its regret over the remarks. It said in a statement: "La Liga feels deep regret regarding the offense caused by Kylian Mbappe's recent comments to Chinese fans. These comments were made in a personal capacity and do not represent La Liga. Within the limits of our institutional responsibility, we extend our apology on behalf of La Liga and all its clubs."
The controversial video shows Mbappe saying that the funniest picture he saw of himself on the internet was one where his face was placed on a picture of "some man, I think he is a Chinese dictator."
This appeared to be a reference to an image showing Mbappe's face superimposed on a picture of Mao, which is one of several similar composite images using the footballer's face with other historical figures.
The Agence France-Presse (AFP) fact-checking service was unable to immediately verify the authenticity of the video.
Three companies that were using the player's name and image, the giants "Dongpeng" for beverages and "Mengniu" for dairy products, in addition to the cheese manufacturer "Milkground," announced yesterday, Tuesday, the termination of their cooperation with him with immediate effect and in similar terms, confirming their adoption of a "zero-tolerance policy" toward actions and statements "that offend national sentiments."
"Dongpeng" company said in a statement: "Our company strongly opposes and follows a zero-tolerance policy toward any behavior that offends national sentiments," adding, "As of now, we are terminating all forms of cooperation with Kylian Mbappe."
The French national team captain said in a statement issued Tuesday in French, English, and Chinese (Mandarin), a copy of which was received by Agence France-Presse: "I offer my apology to everyone whom my words have offended. That was not my intention at all. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I express my sincere regret."
"Unanimous rejection"
Jokes about Mao, the founder of the People's Republic of China who died in 1976, are considered offensive in China and remain a social taboo.
Advertisements showing AI-generated images of the French national team captain (27 years old) drinking one of the "Dongpeng" sports drinks were regularly shown in China during this year's World Cup.
"Mengniu," the largest dairy producer in China, also ended its cooperation with the Spanish Real Madrid striker, who until this incident enjoyed wide popularity among Chinese fans with millions of followers on social media.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said during a regular press briefing: "We have seen the relevant reports. Words and actions that offend the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally face unanimous rejection from all sectors of Chinese society."
Mbappe is known in China by the nickname "Guigui," which is the Chinese translation for the word "turtle," in reference to his popularity within one of the satirical images inspired by the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" characters.
"Mengniu" said in a statement: "As of now, our company is terminating all forms of cooperation with Kylian Mbappe."
It added: "Mengniu strongly opposes and follows a zero-tolerance policy toward any words or actions that offend the feelings of the Chinese people."
These announcements came after a video clip spread on the internet in which Mbappe says that the most satirical picture on the internet that made him laugh was a picture of his face superimposed on the face of "some person... I think he is a Chinese dictator."
The hashtag "Dongpeng Beverages terminates its cooperation with Mbappe" topped the most discussed topics on the Chinese platform "Weibo."
The "Dongqiudi" platform, one of the largest electronic football platforms in China, said in a statement on Monday evening that Mbappe's remarks were "offensive to China and the Chinese people" and "harmed the feelings of Chinese football fans and the Chinese people."
Controversy in China
Mbappe had touched on a previous satirical image that compared him to a despotic military ruler in September, in an interview with the French sports newspaper "L'Equipe."
He said: "There is a funny side to it. One can notice that some people deal with it with a sense of humor. But there is another side that is less funny because of the damage caused by people like these throughout history."
He added: "To be compared to people who kill others or have caused misery to hundreds of millions of people... I don't think I have done anything like that in my life."
The controversy in China came one day after Mbappe lost the Ballon d'Or award for the best player in the world to the Englishman Harry Kane.
International sports stars have previously sparked controversy in China and lost sponsorship contracts there after comments that touched on sensitive issues such as Taiwan, Tibet, and Hong Kong.
Former NBA player Dwight Howard had described Taiwan as a country in 2023 during his appearance in a video clip with the island's then-Vice President and current President Lai Ching-te, which sparked widespread anger on Chinese social media.
Beijing asserts that Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring the island under its control.
In 2019, Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey posted a tweet supporting the protests in Hong Kong, which prompted China to suspend sponsorship contracts with the NBA and stop broadcasting its matches on Chinese television for a year.
