Kylian Mbappe dropped by Chinese brands over joke about ex-Chinese Communist Party leader, Mao Zedong

France and Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappé has been dropped by two major brands in China after a video circulated online in which he apparently joked about the country's former leader Mao Zedong.

A video circulated online in which the French Real Madrid forward apparently mocked the former Chinese Communist Party leader. 

In the footage, he said the funniest internet meme he had seen was of his face photo-shopped onto that of 'some guy - I think he's a Chinese dictator'.

However, in China, jokes about Mao, the country’s founding leader who died in 1976, are considered disrespectful and remain a social taboo.

For this reason,  Dongpeng and China's largest dairy producer Mengniu have now cut ties with the 27-year-old. 

"Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments," drinks giant Dongpeng said in a statement, adding that "with immediate effect we are terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappe".

Mengniu, China's largest dairy producer, also cut ties with the Real Madrid and France forward.

"With immediate effect our company is terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappe," Mengniu said in a statement.

"Mengniu firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any words or actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people," it added.

Dongpeng said in a statement: 'Our company firmly opposes and has a zero-tolerance policy towards any behaviour that offends national sentiments.'

The drinks giant added that 'with immediate effect we are terminating all cooperation with Kylian Mbappe'.

Dongqiudi, one of China’s biggest online football outlets, said in a statement on Monday evening that Mbappé’s remarks were “offensive to China and the Chinese people” and “have hurt the feelings of Chinese football fans and the Chinese people”.