The brutal beating of four women at a restaurant in northern China sparked widespread outrage over the weekend, leading to the rapid arrest of nine people involved and requiring severe punishment. For many Chinese women, however, the incident was a reminder of the continuing danger of gender-based violence, and the official response was often repulsive and sexist, amid rising anti-feminist rhetoric both on the internet and in the state media. “This incident scares me,” said Nichole Gao, a 26-year-old e-commerce worker in Shanghai. “But above all, I can not help but think of the magnitude of the misogyny we face in China today.” Late last week, three women dined at a hotpot restaurant in Tangshan, a city in eastern Hebei near Beijing. Surveillance footage shows a man, identified by police as Chen Jizhi, approaching one of the women and leaning in to touch her. When he removed his hand, he hit her in the face and pulled her to the floor. Mr. Chen, along with several other men, started beating the woman and her two friends. One was pulled out, where another woman tried to intervene but was hit on the ground. The men continued to kick and punch the women for several minutes as many passers-by watched. According to police, four women were injured in the incident, two of whom were taken to hospital. As of Sunday, nine people had been arrested in connection with the attack, including Mr. Chen. Discussion of the incident has dominated the Chinese media in recent days, with many calling for harsh punishments for the men involved. In a commentary published Saturday, the official Pan-China Women’s Federation (ACWF) said that “only there can and must be zero tolerance for such vicious cases of serious violations of women’s rights and interests.” However, initial reports downplayed the incident, with a widely criticized article in the state-run Beijing Youth Daily describing Chen as “talking” to women before his friends “joined the fight to fight them”. Another cover focused on the fact that the men were drunk or that one of the women had refused Mr. Chen’s advances. Even as anger escalated, much of the reaction from male commentators was “very supportive,” said Chechen Zhang, a lecturer in politics and international relations at Queen’s University in Belfast. Some men advised women to dress less provocatively or wear pepper spray, while others focused on the need for men to protect “weak women”. Ms. Gao said she felt this was a “kind of contempt for women, they keep telling you that you are weak, so do not wear a tight dress because you can not fight the man who beats you.” Around the last day or so, there was a recast in the state media of the attack as part of a wider problem with the violent crime in Tangshan. On Sunday, the local government vowed to “crack down on organized crime and misconduct and improve public order.” Ms Zhang said the official response “reflected the authorities’ general attitude towards gender-based violence”. “There are concerns about violence against women,” she said, but the government was reluctant to respond “in a way that encourages feminist mobilization.” China ranked 107th out of 156 countries in the latest World Economic Forum report on the Global Gender Gap, which noted that despite improvements in overall economic participation, the number of Chinese women represented in senior roles remains small, as and women’s participation in politics. As of 2021, only 3.2 percent of ministers in China were women, and no woman has ever served on the powerful Politburo Standing Committee. Intimate partner violence remains a huge issue, with at least 30 percent of women experiencing it. According to the ACWF, “every 7.4 seconds a woman is beaten by her husband”, a condition that may have worsened during the pandemic, with reports of increased violence amid a lockdown for COVID. While the Chinese constitution states that women “enjoy equal rights with men in all walks of life,” those who try to ensure that this happens often face fierce resistance. In 2015, dozens of feminists were arrested and five charged with demonstrating against sexual harassment on public transport. Since then, many feminist organizations and publications have faced regular harassment and several have been forced to close, while some prominent activists have moved abroad. China’s MeToo movement has also struggled to take off. Although some celebrities – such as Canadian-Chinese musician Kris Wu – have been prosecuted for alleged abuse, other cases have failed to gain traction. Mostly, a charge of sexual assault by former tennis star Peng Shuai against a senior Chinese politician is subject to severe censorship. Ms Peng later denied the allegations amid widespread speculation that she had been pressured by the government to do so. Proponents of her case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online. Last year, the Global Times accused the “Western media and anti-China forces” of using the MeToo movement “as a tool to incite gender rivalry.” Despite the great feminist awakening in recent years, especially among younger women, the backlash meant that real achievements were scarce. “The bisexual media defines us as ‘extreme feminists’, so fewer women dare to fight bravely for their rights,” Gao said. “We understand more, but things are not improving. “This is a huge contradiction that keeps hitting me.” Faced with an aging population – due in part to decades of draconian “one-child politics” – China’s leaders have seemed to be becoming more conservative on gender issues, no less so. There have been moves to limit abortion rights and since last year, there has been a mandatory “relaxation period” of 30 days for couples who want to end their marriage. Although this has resulted in a reduction in divorce, many have criticized the law for forcing women to remain in potentially abusive relationships, and some judges seem to have taken an even more restrictive approach. Earlier this month, a court in Liaoning Province refused to end a marriage despite the fact that the husband and wife had been living separately for months. “Both parties should value their relationship and put family responsibilities first,” the court said, rejecting the wife’s divorce application, urging the couple to “work together to maintain family harmony and stability.” Ms Zhang said: “If the feminist cause is suppressed and feminist voices are silenced, I do not think the situation of women can really improve.” Alexandra Li contributed to this report. Our Morning and Afternoon Newsletters are compiled by Globe editors, giving you a brief overview of the day’s most important headlines. Register today.
