Lu Han Photo: CNSphoto

Former EXO member Lu Han announced on Sunday his decision to terminate cooperation with Swiss luxury watch brand Audemars Piguet after the company's CEO referred to Taiwan as a country in a media interview which "violates the one-China principle."  

Lu Han's studio said in a statement published on its official Sina Weibo account on Sunday that the studio urged Audemars Piguet to publicly apologize on global platforms, in both Chinese and English, but failed to reach a decent result after repeated communications. 

"Therefore, Lu Han decided to terminate his cooperation with the brand starting from Sunday. National interest is above all else. Lu Han and his studio resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," the statement said. 

Audemars Piguet became under fierce backlash from Chinese netizens since Friday after a video circulating online shows its CEO refers to Taiwan as a country. According to a report published by Watchonista, a Swiss digital platform for watch collectors and connoisseurs, Audemars Piguet's CEO, François-Henry Bennahmias, said that his last speech was "in Taiwan, an ultra-modern, high-tech country," where he had 160 students between the ages of 19 and 23.

The video enraged Chinese netizens who demanded an explanation from the company which published an apology on its official Sina Weibo account on Saturday, saying that "we apologize for the recent misrepresentation. Audemars Piguet has always adhered to the one-China principle and firmly safeguarded China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity." 

However, the apology failed to quiet down netizens' anger against the company for  "reaping benefits in China on the one hand and smearing the country on the other." They urged the CEO to apologize in person and the company to release similar post on overseas social media platforms. They also called the Chinese brand ambassador to cut ties the company. 

Founded in Switzerland in 1875, Audemars Piguet is one of the most famous brands of luxury watches in the world. In 2018, Audemars Piguet announced Lu Han as the first Chinese official ambassador for the brand at the 25th anniversary party of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.

An increasing number of Chinese celebrities and stars have been distancing themselves from the brands they represented that violated one-China principle or undermined national unity. 

In July, mainland actor Gong Jun, who previously endorsed a Vitasoy drink products, announced the end of his commercial cooperation with the brand after a document circulating online showed the company expressed "deepest condolences" to the family of the attacker who stabbed a Hong Kong officer in the street in what has been described by the police as a "lone-wolf domestic terrorist."

Following Gong, another actor from the mainland, Ren Jialun, also announced to end all cooperation with Vitasoy. The actors stressed that they firmly oppose any remarks and actions that violate laws, undermine national unity and stability or harm national interests. 

Shares of the Hong Kong-based beverage maker sank nearly 12 percent to the lowest level since last September amid the intensifying backlash.

Meanwhile, more than 30 Chinese celebrities including Wang Yibo, Jackson Wang, Zhang Yixing and Dilireba, from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, reportedly cut ties in March with brands like Nike and Adidas to show support for cotton products from Xinjiang in the wake of H&M's anti-Xinjiang cotton controversy.