Chinese pop star Lu Han has cut ties with Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet after the luxury brand’s CEO described Taiwan as a country in an interview.
The studio of the actor and singer, a former member of K-pop boy band Exo, announced the move in a statement on Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform, saying that “patriotic” Lu Han was terminating his “cooperation relationship” with the luxury label.
Audemars Piguet came under fire in China after CEO François-Henry Bennahmias referred to Taiwan as “a very tech-oriented country” in a video conversation months ago.
All this happened in the wake of China’s crackdown on sissy male celebrities. Lu Han’s move was apparently made in an attempt to seek forgiveness.
苦肉计 means to inflict pain on yourself to trick the enemy into thinking that you have changed your mind.
