KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 — Chinese singer Lu Han has announced he will be cutting ties with Swiss luxury watch brand Audemars Piguet after the brand’s CEO referred to Taiwan as a country in an interview.
In a statement posted by Lu’s studio on social media, the 31-year-old and his team said they have urged the watch brand to apologise but failed to reach an agreement with the company, leading to the singer and actor cutting ties, as reported by AP.
The brand’s CEO François-Henry Bennahmias got in the soup following a video taken from an interview where he had referred to Taiwan as an “ultra-modern, high-tech country”.
Lu, a former member of popular K-pop group EXO, has been an ambassador for Audemars Piguet since 2018.
“National interests are above all else, Lu Han and Lu Han’s studio will defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the statement read.
Despite Audemars Piguet apologising for their error, it failed to ease the tension.
“We apologise for the recent incorrect statement.
“Audemars Piguet has always adhered to the one-China position and firmly safeguarded China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, objects to any reference to the self-governing island as a country.
Under the one-country policy, other countries have diplomatic relations with either China or Taiwan, but not both.
Celebrities in China are often pressured to conform to values espoused by the Chinese government or face repercussions, according to the news agency.
Celebrities such as Fan Bingbing and Zheng Shuang have been fined heavily for evading taxes, and popular actress Zhao Wei last week had her name removed from credits of films and TV shows she had starred in without explanation.
In March, more than 30 Chinese celebrities cut ties with brands such as Nike, H&M and Adidas after state media criticised the companies expressed concerns over the use of Xinjiang cotton following complaints of abuse and discrimination against ethnic minorities in the region.
Foreign government and researchers have claimed that over one million members of the Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities have been confined to detention camps in Xinjiang.
