BEIJING — In 2013, Meng Dekai, a Disney executive in China, signed a deal with the mayor of Hefei to build a $1.3 billion “Disney cultural and industrial park.”

It was one of several agreements with multiple cities in China that Mr. Meng apparently signed.

The only problem: He was not allowed to do so.

The Walt Disney Company said on Wednesday that it had parted ways with Mr. Meng — it did not say whether he resigned or was fired — after opening an investigation into allegations that he had signed deals with local governments for Disney-related projects.

The brazenness of the apparent duplicity highlights the risks for foreign companies operating in China, where counterfeiting and corruption are still rampant despite repeated government campaigns to crack down. Reports of Mr. Meng’s deals across the country have also led to widespread confusion about Disney’s future plans across China, the world’s second-largest economy.

