00:00Football superstar Kim Mbappé has apologised after a video appearing to show him joking
00:05about Chinese leader Mao Zedong sparked outrage in China.
00:10The Real Madrid forward said his comment was ill-judged and apologised to Chinese fans,
00:15acknowledging that his words had caused offence.
00:18But the backlash is already having major consequences.
00:22Three Chinese brands, including beverage giant Dong Peng and dairy producer Men Green, have
00:28reportedly cut ties with the French captain.
00:31China's state broadcaster has also suspended broadcasts of Chinese La Liga matches, demanding
00:37an apology from Real Madrid.
00:39The video shows Mbappé referring to a meme featuring his face superimposed on Mao, describing him
00:45as some guy who was a Chinese dictator.
00:48The controversy has also exploded online, with a related hashtag reportedly attracting 430
00:54million views on Chinese social media platform Weibo.
00:58Brandon
