mǔ bā pèi姆巴佩yán lùn言论yǐn qǐ引起zhēng lùn争论
French football star Mbappé talked about an image from the internet during a program.
The image placed his face on a photo of Mao Zedong, and he called the person in the image a “Chinese dictator.”
After the program aired, many Chinese internet users and companies expressed dissatisfaction, and broadcasts of some football matches were also stopped.
Mbappé, Real Madrid, and Spanish football authorities later apologized one after another.
However, the incident also led more people to discuss whether Mao Zedong was a dictator.
Many foreign scholars and media outlets believe that Mao Zedong held state power for a long time. They say that the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, which he led, brought famine, violence, and many deaths; therefore, he can be called a dictator.
In China, however, Mao Zedong is often presented as an important leader who founded New China, and publicly criticizing him is highly sensitive.
Many Chinese internet users saw only Mbappé's apology, but found it difficult to locate his original words.
This debate is not only about football. It also prompts people to think about history, freedom of speech, and how different countries view the same person differently.