Soccer-Mbappe seeks to defuse China anger after ‘ill-judged’ Mao meme comments

France soccer captain Kylian Mbappe apologised on Tuesday after ?Chinese brands cut ties with him over comments referring to the late Chinese leader Mao ?Zedong, underscoring ?how swiftly international celebrities can come unstuck in a crucial market. Mbappe, 27, is heard in a video saying the funniest meme he had seen of himself was one where his face had been photoshopped on to that of “some guy — I think he’s a Chinese dictator”, an apparent reference to the composite image of him and Mao. “During a recent interview, I reacted to an image of myself,” Mbappe said in a…