2026-11-04
On November 4, Elisabeth Lévy, founder and editor-in-chief of the French magazine 'Causeur', published an editorial titled 'Yellow Card', criticizing Real Madrid for apologizing after Kylian Mbappé called Mao Zedong a 'Chinese dictator'. She stated that the millions of victims of the Mao era have not received the same respect, and described the commercial pressure from the Chinese side as 'financial extortion'.
2026-11-03
On the evening of November 3, Bruno Retailleau, chairman of the French Republican Party and presidential candidate, was asked on a BFMTV program whether Mao Zedong was a dictator. He replied "of course" twice, stated that Mao caused the deaths of tens of millions, and equated communism with Nazism as two forms of totalitarianism.
2026-11-03
On November 3, French Sud Radio comedian Régis Mailhot teased Kylian Mbappé for committing an unforgivable mistake—telling the truth by bluntly calling Mao Zedong a dictator and shouting 'Free Tibet,' while simulating an apology to Beijing after the radio station was supposedly acquired by China.
2026-11-01
On November 1, Infobae published an exclusive interview with Younes Khelifi, the creator of the 'Mbappe-Mao' meme. He stated that he made the video in 2023 solely to mock Mbappe's influence at Paris Saint-Germain and had no political intentions. After Mbappe responded, he received many friendly messages from Chinese netizens, as well as a small number of threats, but he stated that he does not regret it.
2026-10-30
On October 30, French MP and presidential candidate François Ruffin, in an interview with BFMTV/RMC, criticized the influence of Chinese capitalism and nationalism while discussing the Mbappé controversy. He explicitly stated that Mao Zedong was a dictator who established authoritarian rule, and the deaths of millions of Chinese people caused by his rule cannot be excused.
2026-10-29
French football star Kylian Mbappé called Mao Zedong a dictator, stating that he caused tens of millions of deaths and that his regime was totalitarian in nature. French public opinion views this as a statement of fact rather than a personal opinion.
[Follow-up · October 28, 2026] On the evening of October 28, Marine Tondelier, National Secretary of the French Green Party, posted on X, stating that Mbappé's characterization of Mao Zedong as a dictator is historically grounded, and criticized France's repeated submission to China's economic pressure as a sign of weakness.
2026-10-29
On October 29, Philippe Diallo, President of the French Football Federation, addressed the controversy surrounding Kylian Mbappe regarding China, stating that he does not believe Mbappe intended to damage the image of Chinese leaders or offend the Chinese people. He noted that Mbappe has apologized and the controversy should end here.
2026-10-29
As the controversy over Kylian Mbappé's remarks intensifies in China, French netizens have shared a TV interview from April 2023 featuring Lu Shaye, the Chinese Ambassador to France, in which he denied the historical disasters caused by Mao Zedong's rule and deflected the topic to Western human rights issues.
2026-10-28
The creator of the Mbappé-Mao Zedong meme was interviewed by the French magazine 'So Foot', lamenting that they originally just wanted to make a meme to amuse friends, never expecting it to develop to this point.
2026-10-28
On the evening of October 28, Marine Tondelier, National Secretary of the French Green Party, posted on X, stating that Mbappé's characterization of Mao Zedong as a dictator has historical basis, and criticized France's repeated submission to China's economic pressure as a sign of weakness.
2026-10-28
On October 28, the creator of the Mbappe-Mao Zedong meme told French magazine 'So Foot' that he wants to visit China, but is seriously considering contacting the French Embassy in China first to confirm whether the video controversy might cause him problems. He also stated that his posts on X praising Mao in Chinese were meant to be semi-joking.
2026-10-27
On October 27, Mbappé posted a statement in French, Chinese and English on his personal account, saying his comments were "inappropriate," that he now understood they had hurt many people in China, apologizing to everyone hurt by his remarks, and expressing "deep respect" for the Chinese people and Chinese history. The statement garnered over 10 million views within about two hours of being posted on X, and many Chinese netizens said in the comments that he had no need to apologize.
2026-10-27
At around 16:00 on October 27, the Global Times published a quick commentary titled "Mbappé Is Done For, and He Deserves It," saying it believes the list of terminated contracts will gradually grow longer until all of Mbappé's cooperation related to China is completely zeroed out, and warning that anyone who "disrespects China" should not expect to earn a single cent from the Chinese market. The full text did not restate Mbappé's specific remarks, nor did it contain the words "Mao Zedong" or "dictator."
2026-10-27
On October 27, France's TF1 reported on the backlash in China against Mbappé after he called Mao Zedong a dictator, which forced him to apologize. The presenter said this is a fact accepted by historians, citing historians' estimates that Mao Zedong's repression caused at least 40 million deaths.
2026-10-27
On the evening of October 27, the French talk show The Bridge issued a bilingual French-English statement on Instagram, saying that the relevant video was behind-the-scenes footage recorded in April this year and published on October 26, and apologizing to Mbappé, his partners, and institutions that could affect relations with China over the controversy sparked by Mbappé's remarks about memes.
2026-10-27
On October 27, the Mbappé controversy made it onto BFMTV, one of France's highest-rated news channels, which reported that the satirical allusion was not accepted because remarks touching on politics and cultural history are particularly sensitive in China. (The original BFMTV report could not be found; the information comes from a quote by an X account.)
2026-10-27
Around October 27, commentator Li Chengpeng wrote on X, “Mbappé just played a dictator meme; this kind of thing is too common in the US and Europe.”
2026-10-26
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.
2026-10-26
Since October 26, clips of Mbappé's interview on the French online program The Bridge have circulated widely on Reddit, X, and Threads. Voice of America reported that when asked about the funniest meme, he said it was one putting his face on a photo of a "Chinese dictator"; later in the program a composite image of him with Mao Zedong was edited in. Multiple media outlets said the interview was recorded in April, and AFP Fact Check said it could not independently verify the authenticity of the video for now.
2026-10-25
On October 25, netizens posted photos of a strike by French Uber Eats couriers, who used multiple phones to collectively reject the lowest-priced orders, forcing the platform to raise the delivery fee per order to over 15 euros; in the comments section, Chinese couriers posted orders showing a 1-yuan delivery fee and 293 items of McDonald's food delivered for just 4.5 yuan.
2026-10-20
According to a tweet published by @clashreport, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu publicly stated on October 20, 2026 that Hamas has now appeared on the streets of Paris. The remarks drew attention and were shared by social media users.
2026-10-19
According to clashreport, French presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon made public remarks pointing out that since the “Yellow Vests” movement, every social crisis in France has been handled in exactly the same way: letting the situation deteriorate and then resorting to police violence.
2026-10-19
French President Macron issued a public statement on October 19, 2026 Beijing time, issuing a stern warning to looters over the recent unrest. Macron made it clear that the government would take tough measures to deal with looting, and stressed that such illegal acts would never be allowed to go unpunished, aiming to restore social order through strong law enforcement.
2026-10-19
According to a statement by French President Macron posted by the Twitter account @clashreport, Macron publicly stated that those who took part in looting and vandalism must pay the price for their crimes, and that those who attacked government buildings must also bear legal responsibility for their crimes.
2026-10-19
According to a report by Radio France Internationale, French President Macron publicly stated on October 19, 2026, that instigators from far-left fringe groups, in cahoots with criminals, are running rampant and committing violence in French cities, causing serious damage to public security and the rule of law.
2026-10-19
On October 19, 2026, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi commented on the situation in France, saying that the French people are demanding comprehensive change, including the right to freedom of assembly, and urged the French president to listen to the demands of the French people for the future.
2026-10-18
According to X account @clashreport, on October 18, 2026, Beijing time, a Sephora store at Place de la République in Lyon, France, was ransacked. On-site video shows the shelves in the store emptied and related facilities damaged. There are currently no detailed reports on the cause of the incident or the subsequent police handling.
2026-10-18
On October 18, 2026, Beijing time, riots broke out during protests in Bordeaux, France, and a local Hermès store was looted by demonstrators. According to on-site video posted by the X account @clashreport, the shelves inside the store were emptied. The incident occurred against the backdrop of recent social unrest in France, and no further detailed reports of casualties or police arrests have been available so far.
2026-10-18
According to video and reports posted by the Twitter account @clashreport, on October 18, 2026, Beijing time, protests broke out in Bordeaux, France, during which demonstrators stormed and looted a Louis Vuitton store, drawing attention and discussion at the scene.
2026-10-18
Israel's Minister of Diaspora Affairs publicly stated that a civil war has already broken out in France, and further predicted that Belgium and the United Kingdom would be the next countries to experience similar turmoil. The remarks have drawn attention and discussion in international public opinion.
2026-10-17
French President Macron responded to earlier remarks by National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, who said she would cut financial aid to Ukraine if she came to power. Macron emphasized that France and EU member states support Ukraine out of consideration for their own security interests, and noted that the situation in Ukraine is directly related to European security and stability.
2026-10-17
French President Macron made public remarks on the situation in Ukraine, stating that aiding Ukraine is not merely a matter of goodwill, but accords with Europe's own interests and concerns collective security. He stressed that surrender means weakness, and weakness will bring danger, adding that he firmly believes this is the best way to protect the French people.
2026-10-15
French National Rally leader Marine Le Pen said that France is on the verge of default and is no longer able to continue providing financial aid to Ukraine. She suggested that perhaps other EU countries with different fiscal conditions could take over France's role.
2026-10-15
In response to French National Rally leader Marine Le Pen's earlier remarks that she would stop funding Ukraine within six months if she won the French presidential election, Ukrainian President Zelensky emphasized in his response that the Ukrainian military's experience in technology and actual combat is crucial to its partners, and said that French industry could gain a development advantage through technological cooperation with Ukraine.
2026-10-15
According to a report by the Financial Times on October 15, Citroën plans to launch a €15,000 all-electric 2CV in 2028, while Volkswagen will introduce the €25,000 ID.Polo; Chinese brands took about one-third of the stands at the Paris Motor Show for the first time, and AlixPartners expects them to account for 16% of European sales by 2030. Changan plans to expand production in Europe, and Chery will start production in Spain.
2026-10-14
According to an interview with the Financial Times, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen stated that if elected president, she plans to halt France's financial assistance to Ukraine within her first six months in office. She also opposes Ukraine's accession to the European Union and intends to review EU sanctions against Russia. Her stated rationale is that France can no longer afford to bear the burden of such aid, and she criticized Europe's approach of confronting Moscow in the energy sector.
2026-06-01
The Centre Léon Bérard cancer center in Lyon, France, published a review in a journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology, documenting that after endoscopists at four hospitals in Poland used AI for several months, their own adenoma detection rate fell from 28.4% to 22.4%.
2026-10-08
A recent post on X discussing French secondary school students' strike protests has sparked widespread discussion. The poster compared the daily schedule and study intensity of Chinese high school students in order to criticize French students, but a large number of Chinese netizens instead sided with the French students and used the issue to criticize China's education system. French netizens subsequently expressed their thanks to the Chinese netizens.
2026-10-04
October 4, World Animal Day, a large animal march was held in Paris, France. Multiple participants marched from the Arc de Triomphe along Avenue Foch, holding trilingual Chinese-English-French banners printed with a photo of Wangwang, in support of the stray dog Wangwang and its puppies tortured to death in Jieyang, Guangdong.
2026-10
Large-scale protests broke out across France, with more than 500,000 people taking to the streets to condemn the rising cost of living and poor school conditions. During the protests, the Louvre was blockaded, a city hall building was set on fire, and shops were looted; the clashes led to more than 2,500 arrests.
2026-10
Facing large-scale protests and violent clashes, French President Macron delivered a televised address calling for an end to violence, while Prime Minister Lecornu ordered curfews in some areas; Macron also stressed the need to determine whether there were law-enforcement failures and to review police tactics.
2026-09-27
According to reports, Germany and France are finalizing a joint document this week, calling on the European Commission to accelerate the development of trade tools similar to the U.S. Section 301.
2026-06-15
The 52nd G7 Summit was held in France, and the meeting issued a joint statement opposing any unilateral attempts to change the status quo, especially opposing any attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion in the East China Sea, the South China Sea, and the Taiwan Strait.
2026-09-20
Around September 20, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Russia's hybrid warfare threat had escalated, calling for an immediate increase in vigilance and for plans to be drawn up to protect critical infrastructure and sensitive sites from drone and cyberattacks.
2026-09-16
European Commission President von der Leyen invited Canada on September 16 to become the first associate member of the EU during her State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, proposing deeper cooperation in manufacturing, technology, defense industry, artificial intelligence, and the Arctic. Canadian Prime Minister Carney welcomed the proposal.
2026-09-11
In September 2026, Mbappé addressed the “Dictator Mbappé” meme for the first time in an interview with France Football, saying that such images can sometimes be funny, but that comparing him to rulers responsible for millions of deaths goes too far, and that this sometimes reflects people’s “lack of political and humanitarian awareness.” The figures involved in the memes include Kim Jong-un, Mao Zedong, Stalin, and Mobutu.
2026-09-03
On September 3, 2026, China's Ministry of Commerce lodged solemn representations over the punitive anti-ultra-fast-fashion law introduced by France targeting platforms such as Shein, urged the French side to immediately stop implementing it, and stated that all consequences arising therefrom shall be borne by the French side.
2026-08-31
On August 31, 2026, netizens showing support for Wangwang, a dog abused and killed in China, held up signs in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, and distributed anti-animal-abuse advocacy flyers into local residents' mailboxes and community public spaces.
2026-08-21
A Chinese tourist in Paris, whose passport was stolen, contacted the Chinese Embassy in France for help; because the embassy refused to answer calls in French, the tourist left a negative review for the embassy on Google Maps.
2026-08
After members of the public in Paris left comments in the Google Maps review section of the Chinese Communist Party's embassy in France, the embassy replied about two weeks later, asking for the owner's name or requesting that the passport be mailed to the embassy.
2026-08
In August 2026, a Chinese tourist lost eight passports in Paris. After French citizens found them, they repeatedly called the Chinese Embassy in France for help, but were hung up on and refused each time, forcing them to seek redress by leaving a review on Google Maps.
2026-07-10
In the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup, France was the first to secure a place in the semifinals.
2026-07
A Paris resident found 8 Chinese passports at a local metro station and called the Chinese Communist Party embassy in France for assistance, but the staff member hung up after answering the phone.
2026-06-26
The World Meteorological Organization said the Western European heatwave will move eastward over the weekend, with France and the United Kingdom breaking June temperature records, and Italy's temperature expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius.
2026-06-25
On June 25, 2026, AFP reported that France's Ministry of Economy and Finance confirmed it had stopped testing Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen AI model among its staff, after its answers on China-related topics were accused of showing a directional bias.
2026-06-24
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that a confirmed case of Ebola has been discovered in mainland France. The patient is a doctor who returned from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but the global risk remains low.
2026-06-19
On June 19, 2026, a Chinese independent bookstore in Paris, France promoted the screening of the FIRST Best Documentary "Youzi Crossing Log" on social media; afterwards its Xiaohongshu account was permanently banned and its WeChat promotional article was taken down.
2026-06-17
Leaders of the Group of Seven issued a declaration at the summit in France, pledging to significantly reduce their reliance on single overseas suppliers for rare earths and permanent magnets, and establishing the Critical Minerals Resilience and Production Alliance.
2026-06-17
Trump remotely signed the Islamabad memorandum during the G7 summit dinner at the Palace of Versailles, setting a 60-day window.
2026-06
A non-governmental organization medical worker who cared for Ebola patients in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been diagnosed after returning to France and is currently under monitoring and treatment.
2026-05-13
On May 13, 2026, Jin Xing held an exchange event at the Paris 13th Arrondissement City Hall, introducing the Chekhov play The Cherry Orchard in which she stars.
2026-04
In an interview on the French web show The Bridge (hosted by his Real Madrid teammate Tchouaméni), Mbappé was asked about the funniest meme of himself. He said it was the one where someone put his face onto a photo of “a Chinese dictator,” adding that he often sends it to friends while playing video games. The show later edited in a composite image of him and Mao Zedong. Multiple media outlets report that the interview was recorded in April this year, and clips spread on platforms such as Reddit and X starting October 26.
2026-01-31
On January 31, 2026, France's General Directorate for Internal Security arrested 4 suspects involved in the case in the southwestern department of Gironde, charging two of them, Chinese wireless engineers, with attempting to install a large antenna system to intercept Starlink and military satellite data.
2026
In 2026, major riots broke out in France and many European countries. Large numbers of illegal immigrants and far-left organizations intervened in student protests, which escalated into looting, vandalism and arson. The unrest then spread to Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Albania and other places.
2024-08-08
After the women's 100m sprint at the Paris Olympics, Afghan athlete Kimia Yousufi showed the camera the slogan on the back of her bib, “Education, Sports, Our Rights”, to protest the Taliban regime's deprivation of Afghan women’s right to education and participation in sports.
2024-03
In March 2024, Kylian Mbappe's lawyer sent a letter to French influencer Mohamed Henni for naming a kebab dish after him. Henni publicly responded, claiming Mbappe had turned his own name into a 'dictatorship.' Both Know Your Meme and Yahoo Sports identified this incident as the starting point for the 'Dictator Mbappe' meme.
2023-08-18
On August 18, 2023, France's 20 Minutes reported on a parody video that face-swapped Mbappé with Mao Zedong and set it to the red song "The Sun in the Sky Is Red"; the meme originated as fans' satire of his outsized influence within the team.
2021-07-15
The Court of Appeal in Bordeaux, France, rejected China's extradition request for Huang Youlong, accepting the defense arguments regarding the political nature of the case and the risks he faces.
2021-03-22
Procuratorates in Dongguan, Guangdong issued a Red Notice for Huang Youlong through Interpol. Huang Youlong was arrested immediately upon landing in Bordeaux, France, after arriving on a private jet from Iceland.
2013-05
At the press conference after her second-round defeat at the French Open, Li Na fired back at reporters by asking, "Should I kowtow three times and kowtow nine times? Apologize to them?", sparking a huge public controversy and criticism from state media.
2011-06
29-year-old Li Na defeated her opponent in the French Open women's singles final in Paris to win the title, becoming the first Asian player to win a Grand Slam singles championship.
1994-05
Zhang Yimou's film “To Live” won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and Ge You won the award for Best Actor. The film was not released in mainland China because it directly confronted the devastation inflicted on ordinary people by political campaigns such as the Cultural Revolution.
1989
After the 1989 June Fourth incident, writer Gao Xingjian publicly announced his withdrawal from the Chinese Communist Party and declared that he would never return to mainland China; he subsequently settled in France and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2000.
1987
After traveling abroad for activities, Gao Xingjian once returned to China, but upon learning that he might be reassigned to a cultural department in a remote area, he chose to stay in France and called France his home.
1920
16-year-old Deng Xiaoping took his money to France for work-study, but after his scholarship was cut off, he could only work in a factory to make a living.