China warns Mbappe row with Real Madrid will take time to resolve

The fallout from Kylian Mbappe’s controversial comments about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong continues to affect relations between China, Real Madrid and La Liga, despite the France forward maintaining his impressive form on the pitch.

Mbappe scored twice against both Racing de Santander and AEK Athens, showing little sign that the dispute had affected his performances for Real Madrid. Away from football, however, efforts are continuing to contain the diplomatic and commercial consequences of the incident.

China’s state broadcaster CCTV suspended its coverage of La Liga matches after the remarks, placing the Spanish league in a difficult position and prompting officials to act quickly to protect its commercial relationship with the Chinese market.

The stakes are significant. International broadcasting rights for La Liga are worth about 900m euros a year, while China is an important market for Real Madrid, which is estimated to have around 97 million supporters in the country.

Real Madrid issued an apology as it attempted to ease the anger, particularly after Mbappe became the focus of criticism in China. His accounts were also blocked on local social media platforms, meaning it could take considerable time for the forward to rebuild his popularity in the market.

China remains unhappy

There have been signs of movement towards a resolution, with China’s ambassador to Spain, Yao Jing, confirming that contact had taken place with La Liga, Real Madrid and other parties.

Speaking to the Spanish news agency on the sidelines of the Salamanca Forum, Yao said: “There are no negotiations, but an exchange of views based on mutual understanding. This unfortunate incident caused widespread discontent in China, which now has to accept the current situation.”

The ambassador, whose comments were reported by French website Foot Mercato, said he believed the dispute could eventually be overcome through dialogue founded on mutual respect, according to the Spanish agency.

However, Shi Tianyu, an official at the Chinese embassy in Spain, warned that any settlement would not be immediate. He said time was needed for the Chinese public to process what had happened.

“It needs time; the Chinese people need time to absorb all of this. It is a sensitive issue for them, and Real Madrid is a club with enormous popularity and a large following in China,” he said.

The comments suggest that, although communication has begun between the parties, public anger has not disappeared. Real Madrid remains highly popular in China, but the response to Mbappe’s remarks means the club’s relationship with its supporters in the Asian market continues to face uncertainty.