China accepts Kylian Mbappé's apology over his Mao 'dictator' joke after Real Madrid also says sorry to 'the Chinese people'

Real Madrid's fulsome apology to "the Chinese people" has been accepted by China Media Group, yet Kylian Mbappé faces a far harder path to rebuilding his commercial standing in China. The French forward severed ties with at least three brands — Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground — after he described Mao Zedong as "a Chinese dictator" in an online interview, a controversy that also prompted Chinese state television to pull the entire Spanish La Liga from its broadcast schedule.

China's Foreign Ministry said it was taking Mbappé's personal apology "seriously" but would not be drawn on whether his lost brand deals would be reinstated.

Mbappé had already been nicknamed "the dictator" during his time at PSG — a reference to his sway over the club — which was the origin of the Mao meme in the first place.

China's People's Daily cautioned that any public figure who crosses "a red line" becomes "a brand's negative asset", a warning that suggests the commercial fallout could prove permanent.