A test by France 24 Observers using a Chinese IP address showed that Doubao replies that the content is suspected of violating its rules of use and DeepSeek suggests the story is fake news and that there is no trustworthy information available.

“This content is suspected of violating the rules for using Doubao,” Doubao responded. DeepSeek responded by suggesting the story was fake news: “As for the question of whether Mbappé said the words ‘Mao Zedong is a dictator’, there is currently no publicly available, trustworthy information or any news report that would make it possible to confirm this statement.” The controversy began with a joke by Mbappé in mid-October on the French podcast The Bridge, when he cited a meme in which his face appears superimposed on the figure of someone he called “a Chinese dictator”. Chinese football sponsors, including Dongpeng Group, dairy giant Mengniu and cheesemaker Milkground, ended partnerships with the Real Madrid striker; a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry lashed out at Mbappé during a press conference, and the player published an apology that, according to France 24, Chinese diplomats say is being taken seriously. Researcher Jennifer Pan of Stanford University said the original Chinese models are more likely to refuse to respond and to give short and vague replies to questions about Chinese politics than models developed elsewhere.