How Chinese AI is censoring the controversy around Mbappé’s Chairman Mao comments

French footballer Kylian Mbappé made a joke about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong back in mid-October when he appeared on "The Bridge", a French podcast featuring athletes. When the host asked Mbappé which image of himself he found the funniest, the player cited a meme in which his head appears superimposed on a figure appearing to be Mao’s body. “"[The meme] that makes me laugh the most, it's the one where there's a video of a guy, I think it's a Chinese dictator..." Mbappé said. “I use it a lot with my friends.” Little did Mbappé know – his joke was about to spark a diplomatic storm with China. This image shows Kylian Mbappé’s interview on the French show The Bridge, which aired on October 27, 2026. Source: X. To display this content from X (Twitter), you must enable advertisement tracking and audience measurement. When Mbappé joked about the founder of the People’s Republic of China, he was quickly accused of insulting the Chinese people and their “national sentiments”. Chinese football sponsors, including beverage company Dongpeng Group, dairy giant Mengniu and Chinese cheesemaker Milkground, all ended partnerships linking them with the Real Madrid striker. A spokesperson for ...