French football star Kylian Mbappé has lost two major sponsorship agreements in China following the circulation of a video in which he appeared to make a joke about Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China. The energy drink company Dongpeng and the dairy producer Mengniu announced on Tuesday that they have ended their respective partnerships with the athlete.

In their statements, both companies cited that the remarks made by Mbappé were offensive to Chinese national sentiment. The incident highlights the sensitivity surrounding public figures and their commentary on historical political figures within the Chinese market. While the specific content of the video has not been widely transcribed in international reporting, the swift reaction from these major corporations underscores the potential financial consequences for global celebrities who engage in discourse perceived as disrespectful to Chinese history or leadership. As of now, representatives for Mbappé have not issued a public statement regarding the termination of these contracts or the nature of the comments made in the video.