China Says It Has Taken Mbappé’s Apology Seriously After Mao Comments
China's Foreign Ministry stated it has taken soccer star Kylian Mbappé's apology "seriously" for comments deemed disrespectful to Mao Zedong, following backlash.

Lafayette, LA, October 28, 2026 —
China’s Foreign Ministry said it has taken soccer star Kylian Mbappé’s apology “seriously” after comments deemed disrespectful to Mao Zedong prompted backlash, according to the information provided. The statement links the ministry’s response to both the apology and the reaction to the comments.
The available account does not identify when the comments were made or what Mbappé said. It also does not provide the wording, timing or setting of his apology, or explain who characterized the comments as disrespectful. The nature and scale of the backlash are not specified.
No name for the ministry official who made the statement was provided, and no additional details about the ministry’s response were included. The account does not describe any further action involving Mbappé or indicate whether the ministry offered other comment.
As a result, the stated development is limited to the Foreign Ministry’s description of its response to the apology: it has taken it “seriously.” The information provided does not establish whether that response signals acceptance of the apology, a resolution of the backlash or any change in the situation. Those outcomes were not specified.
The reported statement concerns comments about Mao Zedong, but the information available does not give enough detail to recount the remarks or assess their context. It also does not identify when the ministry made its statement. Without those details, the sequence beyond the reported backlash, apology and ministry response remains unclear.
Further specifics—including the comments themselves, the full apology and any subsequent developments—were not included in the account. No additional conclusion about the matter can be drawn from the information provided.
Story summarized from the original created by HUIZHONG WU, Associated Press on www.klfy.com, see more information here.
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