CCP enforces its law on Mbappe and football: if you profit in China, you will obey Strategist

And so we see China imposing its censorship on the world. An attack on Mao Zedong and, by extension, the Chinese Communist Party itself has come through an unexpected avenue - an ephemeral media comment by an internationally famous French soccer player that was published on 26 October.

It cut deep, all the more because the party was holding the Fifth Plenum of the 20th its central committee, with a firm focus on loyalty to party secretary Xi Jinping. The party's reaction was fierce and effective.

In the end, it has enforced its law that those who make money from China will do as it says. The party started the week embarrassed.

It ended the week with yet greater authority over those who fear its wrath. In awidely circulated interview, the Real Madrid player Kylian Mbappe made an offhand comment about one of the many 'Dictator' caricatures that circulate about him on social media.

It showed his face photoshopped onto the body of 'some guy - I think he's a Chinese dictator'. The illustrated meme showed the figure to be Mao, the CCP leader who founded the People's Republic of China.

Mbappe had earlier acknowledged the humour of being depicted as a 'dictator' on the football pitch. Though he understandably noted, 'there's alsoa part that's a little less funny, because we know the damage that people like that have caused throughout history ….

Being compared to people who murder others, or who have made millions and millions of people miserable … I don't think I've done that in my life. ' China's reaction was immediate and devastating.

Responses began in the social media realm with supporters criticising Mbappe. The Chineseforeign ministry spokespersonthen said his 'remarks and deeds … hurt Chinese people's feelings'.

Chinese companies began to weigh in. Beverage giant Dongpeng, which has used Mbappe in advertising, said it was terminating all cooperation with the player.