What’s in a meme? A great deal, as French footballer Kylian Mbappé has lately discovered.For a jesting remark about a meme featuring the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong, Mbappé has found himself in a whirlwind of controversy. Beneath the surface lie larger questions: why the backlash was so fierce, the place Mao holds in China, and why the Chinese State has reacted to similar instances in the realm of sports.When asked to name his favourite Mbappé meme on the French online show The Bridge, the footballer chose one that superimposes his face on Mao’s. He said it features “Some guy… I think he’s a Chinese dictator.”The clip went viral and drew flak in China. Mbappé apologised on October 27, saying his comment was “ill-judged” and had hurt many people. The same day, Chinese companies Dongpeng (beverages), Mengniu (dairy) and Milkground (cheese) ended their partnerships with him, each saying it opposed words and actions that hurt national sentiment.Renmin Ruiping, the commentary platform of the People’s Daily, the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) mouthpiece, delivered its own verdict: “Smashing the rice cooker after eating from it will not be tolerated.”Also in Explained | Why Mao remains sensitive in China: Mbappé’s remark and the Cultural RevolutionChina Media Group (CMG), which oversees the state broadcaster CCTV, also suspended La Liga broadcasts, along with other games and advertisements involving Mbappé on October 26. It said that apologies from La Liga, Real Madrid and Mbappé were a prerequisite for any talks.Story continues below this adLa Liga also said that it “deeply regrets” the offence caused to Chinese fans and that the remarks were made in a personal capacity. Its president, Javier Tebas, also wrote to CMG, condemning Mbappé’s conduct. Real Madrid apologised to the Chinese people on October 28.Why did such a framing of Mao draw criticism?China has often bristled at remarks it deems a threat to its sovereignty. In the latest case, what adds to the sensitivity is Mao’s complicated but lasting legacy. It was under him that the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949 as a communist State.Professor Abanti Bhattacharya of the Department of East Asian Studies, Delhi University, told The Indian Express that in 1981, under reformist leader Deng Xiaoping, the Party acknowledged Mao’s mistakes in policies such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. Focused on agricultural and industrial progress and deepening the Party’s presence across all facets of society, respectively, they caused massive upheaval.Story continues below this adUnder President Xi Jinping, Bhattacharya argues, that stance has somewhat shifted. “There is a perception, both among sections of the Chinese public and in the West, that Xi Jinping is Mao 2.0, that China is returning to the Mao era. There is also a popular sentiment, including among sections of the younger generation, that China was better off during Mao’s time. Today, you can see young people spending nights near Mao Zedong’s mausoleum. There is a certain emotional attachment to him and to the period he represents,” she said. Elements of Xi’s increasing centralisation of power have also been compared to Mao.After the liberalisation of the Chinese economy under Deng in 1978, the Mao era lost some of its sheen, said Bhatacharya. Today, however, Mao and his legacy are returning to the picture and the CCP is increasingly sensitive to criticisms.“Calling Mao a dictator is completely taboo in China. He is not generally viewed in those terms. After the decline of the Soviet Union, there was a period in China where Mao was barely publicly discussed. But now, Xi has revived the connection with history, something which Mao regarded as very important. He is bringing back sentiments of China’s civilisational history and its glorious past, where Mao is seen as the leader who helped China stand up again and reclaim its place,” Bhattacharya said.The precedents: China and global sportsThis is not the first time that Chinese displeasure has set off a cascade of apologies, given China’s increasing weight in the global sports economy.Story continues below this adAlso Read | In Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai’s conviction, role of China’s National Security LawTake football. During the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the total amount of Chinese sponsorship reached $1.4 billion, making it the top sponsor among all nations, according to CCP tabloid Global Times. Leagues have learnt the price of souring their relationship with China the hard way.The NBA, perhaps, knows it better than most. In October 2019, Houston Rockets’ then general manager Daryl Morey posted an image on X that read: “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.” The Chinese Special Administrative Region was then witnessing protests against the government.Subsequently, China’s state broadcaster supended airing NBA matches, and Tencent, the league’s major digital streaming partner in China, followed. The NBA issued a statement calling Morey’s tweet “regrettable”, and Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta publicly distanced the franchise from it. Commissioner Adam Silver later said the loss would run to around $400 million.Story continues below this adFootball has its own example. China is the Premier League’s most lucrative overseas broadcast market, with rights sold for $700 million in a three-year deal that ran through 2022. On December 15, 2019, Chinese television pulled an Arsenal and Manchester City match after Mesut Özil criticised China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. Arsenal distanced the club from Özil’s views.