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🚨BREAKING: Bertrand Lortholary French Ambassador to China “France has no interest in elevating a football dispute into a matter of state. We will not, however, stand aside while one of our citizens is subjected to a sustained campaign because of an online meme. I have been in contact with Real Madrid and with the President of La Liga. The reaction to the situation remains negative. An apology was offered and was neither accepted nor treated as a genuine step toward resolution. Kylian Mbappé is a professional footballer. He is not responsible for the conduct of relations between Paris and Beijing, and nothing in the interview was intended as an attack or a slight. The French authorities fully support him. France holds China in high regard — its people, its culture, and its institutions. That regard must be returned. It is not reasonable to expect courtesy from another country while denying the same courtesy to its nationals. France will not bargain away its dignity in response to external pressure. If the situation continues to worsen, if French commercial interests are affected, or if the episode is used as grounds to single out French citizens and companies, our response will extend beyond statements from the embassy. We value the diplomatic and economic ties that exist between our two countries. We also reserve the right to re-examine the conditions under which those ties operate. An economic dispute would serve neither side. At the same time, the desire to avoid one cannot require us to accept open-ended pressure without reply. The message from Paris is clear. This episode should be brought to a close before it grows more difficult to manage. Diplomacy remains available. The controversy should be allowed to end. Football should be left as football. France is ready to work with China and to address differences through discussion. Should discussion give way to economic measures and public targeting, we will defend our interests with responses that match the circumstances. I hope that point is not reached.”