Kylian Mbappé has apologized for comments referring to Mao Zedong as a dictator. He said his remarks were ill-judged and hurt many people in China and Chinese communities worldwide. On Tuesday, at least three companies, including Dongpeng and Mengniu, cut ties with the French soccer star. They stated they oppose words and actions that hurt national sentiment. The controversy arose after a video clip showed Mbappé discussing a meme depicting him as Mao. China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and social media platform RedNote also criticized the comments. Mbappé's account on RedNote was banned from accepting new followers. It's the latest case in which China has leveraged its economic clout to compel foreign companies and individuals to apologize for perceived slights.