All Findings Confirmed in College of Humanities Investigation... Dismissal and Party Membership Revoked
A Chinese doctoral student has sparked controversy by exposing continuous sexual harassment by her advisor.
On the 22nd (local time), the Associated Press reported that a woman identifying herself as Wang Di, studying at the College of Humanities at the prestigious Renmin University of China, posted a 59-minute video on the Chinese social networking service (SNS) Weibo the previous day. In the video, she briefly showed her ID card before making a Me too (Me too) accusation.
Wang Di claimed that her advisor, the former vice dean of Renmin University and former Communist Party representative, subjected her to physical and verbal sexual harassment and threatened to block her from obtaining her doctoral degree because she rejected his sexual advances. Additionally, Wang Di revealed that the professor assigned her many unpaid tasks and reprimanded her for over two years, and when she refused, he threatened to prevent her graduation.
Wang Di submitted as evidence a text message from the professor requesting her to come to his office in May 2022 and an audio file containing a woman resisting a man’s forced kiss. Wang Di emphasized, "At this moment, I can no longer endure it and have nowhere to retreat," adding, "That is why I am speaking out publicly."
Following Wang Di’s revelation, Renmin University stated that it takes the issue seriously and has formed a task force to investigate her claims. The university’s investigation found the allegations to be true, pointing out that "his actions violated the Party’s discipline and the university’s regulations." The professor was reportedly dismissed and stripped of his Party membership, and he has not made any further statements.
In 2021, tennis star Peng Shuai, who accused former Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (right) of sexual assault, went missing. [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]
Foreign media explained, "In China, public sexual harassment accusations briefly increased following the global Me too movement but were quickly suppressed by the Chinese government, making such cases rare in recent years." They added, "In June, a Chinese journalist who promoted women’s rights as part of the Me too movement was sentenced to five years in prison on charges of inciting the overthrow of state power, according to his supporters."
Among the most notable Me too cases in China was the 2021 incident where tennis star Peng Shuai accused former Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault via Weibo and then disappeared from public view. The media criticized, "Peng Shuai’s Me too accusation was swiftly removed online due to government censorship, and related issues remain strictly censored to this day." Foreign media pointed out, "The Chinese Communist Party views strong social movements as potential threats to stability and its own power."
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