Recently, a supermarket at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law covered the portraits of Kylian Mbappé on Dongpeng 'Bu Shuila' beverage bottles, placing black eye masks over the player's face on the packaging.
On October 29, the state-run Yangtse Evening Post published an article criticizing the Japanese drama "VIVANT" for distorting torture scenes committed by the Imperial Japanese Army, which sparked public outrage. However, netizens in the comment section did not buy it, accusing the media of ignoring concrete issues such as people's livelihoods, employment, and oil prices, and instead spending their time inciting xenophobia.
On October 28, the WeChat official account of the Global Times published an article titled "Hello Kitty Should Not Dance with the Japanese Right Wing," pointing its finger at the Japanese company Sanrio. Subsequently, a large number of state media matrix Weibo accounts posted the same content almost simultaneously. [Follow-up · October 28, 2026] On October 28, Sanrio issued a statement announcing the termination of its collaboration with the Japanese drama "VIVANT," which had been accused by Chinese netizens of "insulting China."
On October 28, a woman wearing a Meiyijia convenience store uniform posted a video stating that she had received notice from the company to remove all "Bushuila" drinks endorsed by Kylian Mbappé from the store, and that the Mbappé portraits on the drinks in some stores had been cut out.
On October 28, TBS President Masamine Ryuho responded to the plot in the drama involving a China-based organization torturing Japanese people, stating that the work is entirely fictional and there was no intention to be hostile toward or disparage any specific country.
At the Foreign Ministry press conference, spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that words and deeds that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be met with a joint boycott from all sectors of Chinese society.
On October 27, China News Service published an original commentary titled "Mbappe, Pui!" harshly criticizing French football star Kylian Mbappé for his remarks regarding China. The commentary was subsequently retracted.
On the morning of October 27, Eastroc Beverage Group and its brand 'Bushuila' issued identical statements on their official Weibo accounts, stating that they 'firmly oppose and have zero tolerance for actions that hurt national sentiment,' and have terminated all cooperation with Kylian Mbappé effective immediately. Eastroc had only just announced Mbappé as the brand ambassador for 'Bushuila' in April; Eastroc's A-shares fell by more than 4% during the day.
On October 27, Xiaohongshu issued a statement on Weibo regarding the Mbappé controversy, saying that the content collaboration had expired and ended on December 31, 2024, and that the platform is continuously checking and taking down related materials, adding that it firmly opposes acts that hurt national feelings.
On October 27, domestic state-run media released a video accusing Season 2 of the Japanese TV drama VIVANT of openly smearing China, claiming it grafted Japanese military torture onto modern Chinese characters. Netizens in the comment section responded with sarcastic mockery, comparing it to over-the-top Chinese anti-Japanese war dramas.
The French talk show The Bridge released behind-the-scenes footage recorded in April of this year, which subsequently triggered accusations from domestic platforms like Dongqiudi that Mbappé made remarks hurting the feelings of the Chinese people.
On October 19, People's Daily published a commentary calling for the “cleanup and removal” of “jingri” speech and conduct and related identifying content, and for “blocking the channels of coordination” in regard to acts that use circles and groups to organize, incite and carry out harassment.
On October 17, a Bilibili blogger spotted an elderly person collecting trash wrapping scrap materials in a national flag, and stepped forward to demand that the person hand over the flag.
Recently, a Chinese student in the History Department of Moscow State University wore the Rising Sun flag and placed a Japanese military cap on his desk during class. He was reported by another Chinese student at the same university, after which he publicly released a video bowing in apology, saying his intention was to display a symbol of Japanese aggression rather than to support militarism.
On October 15, a netizen uploaded a photo showing a white flag reading “Japan Surrenders” and “August 15, 1945” mounted behind a food delivery rider’s vehicle. In the comments, one netizen posted a green jersey printed with “64,” saying “I had no choice but to bring out my jersey to hedge against this.” Other netizens joked based on the per-delivery price.