Chinese star cuts ties with Swiss watch brand over Taiwan

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese language singer and actor Lu Han, a former member of well-liked Ok-pop boy band EXO, mentioned Sunday he would lower ties with Swiss luxurious watch model Audemars Piguet after its CEO referred to Taiwan as a rustic in an interview.

China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, objects to any reference to the self-governing island as a rustic. Below the one-country coverage, different international locations have diplomatic relations with both China or Taiwan, however not each.

In a video circulating on-line, the watch model’s CEO François-Henry Bennahmias referred to Taiwan as an “ultra-modern, high-tech nation” in an interview.

Lu has been an envoy for Audemars Piguet since 2018. A press release posted by Lu’s studio mentioned he and his workforce urged the watch model to apologize in each Chinese language and English however failed to succeed in an settlement with the corporate, main Lu to chop ties.

“Nationwide pursuits are above all else, Lu Han and Lu Han’s studio will defend nationwide sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the assertion learn.

It wasn’t instantly clear what the supply of their disagreement was. Audemars Piguet on Saturday had posted a Chinese language assertion on Weibo apologizing for its error.

“We apologize for the latest incorrect assertion. Audemars Piguet has all the time adhered to the one-China place and firmly safeguarded China’s nationwide sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the assertion learn.

Celebrities in China are sometimes pressured to adapt to values espoused by the Chinese language authorities or face repercussions.

Celebrities resembling Fan Bingbing and Zheng Shuang have been fined closely for evading taxes, and well-liked actress Zhao Wei final week had her title faraway from credit of movies and TV reveals she had starred in with out clarification.

In March, over 30 Chinese language celebrities lower ties with manufacturers resembling Nike, H&M and Adidas after state media criticized the manufacturers for expressing considerations over the usage of Xinjiang cotton following complaints of abuse and discrimination in opposition to ethnic minorities within the area.

Greater than 1 million members of the Uyghur and different predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities have been confined to detention camps in Xinjiang, based on overseas governments and researchers.