"From Mbappé to Hello Kitty, the mea culpas that are piling up testify to the dependence of multinationals on the Chinese market"

In January 1077, German King Henry IV sought forgiveness from Pope Gregory VII at Canossa, enduring three days barefoot in the cold. In 21st century China, public apologies on Weibo are the norm for foreigners accused of offending the Chinese people. Recently, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV did not air La Liga matches featuring French player Kylian Mbappé, despite them being available on streaming platform Migu. This decision followed Mbappé's controversial comments linking Mao Zedong to a 'Chinese dictator', which led to public outcry and a demand for apologies. However, his apologies have not yet resolved the situation.