Lu Ming, editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Titan Sports" and the only Chinese representative on the voting panel for the Ballon d'Or, has revealed his picks in the race for the award. He placed Argentina's Lionel Messi top of his list, ahead of France's Ousmane Dembélé and Spain's Rodri.
England's Harry Kane and France's Kylian Mbappé came fourth and fifth respectively in the Chinese journalist's assessment.
According to the French network "Foot Mercato", Lu Ming justified his Messi pick by pointing to what the Argentina captain delivered at the World Cup. He scored 8 goals, provided 4 assists and dragged his country to the final.
Dembélé earned the Chinese representative's appreciation through a blend of individual brilliance and collective silverware, while Rodri benefited from his pivotal role with the Spanish national team.
Mbappé in the firing line of criticism in China
Messi's selection in first place comes as criticism of Mbappé in China keeps escalating. A video clip spread recently in which the Real Madrid striker appeared to react to mocking clips depicting him in the guise of a dictator, with a reference to the Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
Mbappé offered a public apology, but the fallout reached his commercial relationships. Several Chinese brands ended their partnerships with him, and local media kept hammering his conduct.
Lu Ming, though, based his justification for placing Mbappé fifth on sporting grounds. He pointed to the absence of major titles from the player's tally during the season under assessment, despite his striking individual figures.
Voting for the award closed on 28 September, before the current crisis between Mbappé and China erupted.
Mbappé finished this year's Ballon d'Or race in second place, behind the winner Harry Kane.