Chinese star cuts ties with Swiss watch brand over Taiwan

A former member of popular K-pop band EXO says he's cutting ties with a Swiss luxury watch brand, after its CEO referred to Taiwan as a country in an interview

BEIJING -- Chinese singer and actor Lu Han, a former member of popular K-pop boy band EXO, said Sunday he would cut ties with Swiss luxury watch brand Audemars Piguet after its CEO referred to Taiwan as a country in an interview. 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. In a video circulating online, the watch brand's CEO François-Henry Bennahmias referred to Taiwan as an “ultra-modern, high-tech country” in an interview. Lu has been an ambassador for Audemars Piguet since 2018. A statement posted by Lu's studio said he and his team urged the watch brand to apologize in both Chinese and English but failed to reach an agreement with the company, leading Lu to cut ties.