Controversy around Buddhist abbot Shi Xuecheng seen as sign of #MeToo’s rise in China

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

One of China’s most high-profile Buddhist monks has resigned from a national post after reports of sexual misconduct, a religious association has said.

The Buddhist Association of China said on Wednesday its president, Shi Xuecheng, had passed his duties to a deputy.

The case, which has been covered widely in the Chinese press and discussed on social media, is seen as a sign of the #MeToo movement’s growing momentum in China. A small but increasing number of academics, civil society activists and one of China’s best known television hosts have been called out for alleged inappropriate behaviour, although the movement has yet to percolate into government circles.

#MeToo in China: movement gathers pace amid wave of accusations Read more

The announcement of Xuecheng’s resignation was included in a report about the Buddhist association’s regular meeting and did not mention the controversy surrounding him. Fellow monks accused Xuecheng earlier this year of harassing and demanding sexual favours from nuns at his Beijing monastery as well as embezzling funds, allegations that Xuecheng has denied on social media.

Xuecheng has not commented publicly on his resignation.

One of China’s best known monks and authors, Xuecheng was an influential political adviser to the central government while heading the national Buddhist association. His Longquan monastery on the north-west outskirts of Beijing is popular with educated Chinese, including many who give up highly paid jobs to devote their lives to religious study.

Two long-serving monks compiled a 95-page dossier on Xuecheng this year and turned it over to Beijing police. The document, which included alleged screenshots of his text messages to nuns and the monastery’s financial statements, was leaked on Chinese social media in July and became a national sensation. Xuecheng has dismissed the records as a fabrication.

There are about 250 million Buddhists in China. That number is likely to grow fast as a number of young Chinese are turning increasingly spiritual – embracing Taoism, Christianity and Islam as well.

The powerful state administration of religious affairs, which regulates religion under the communist government, announced an investigation into Xuecheng last week.

The agency reposted the Buddhist association’s report on its own website on Wednesday but did not carry additional comment or provide updates on its investigation.

Separately on Wednesday, lawyers representing Zhu Jun, a host on state-operated China Central Television (CCTV), said they were suing social media users who posted and recirculated allegations of harassment against him by one of his former interns.

Zhu, the host of CCTV’s Spring Festival evening gala and one of China’s most recognisable faces, denies the allegations. Zhu’s lawyers posted their intentions on the WeChat social media platform.</s>One of China's highest-profile Buddhist monks resigned from his position as president of the Buddhist Association of China on Wednesday after facing sexual misconduct accusations.

The association said it accepts Shi Xuecheng's resignation, but did not elaborate further.</s>BEIJING — One of China’s most high-profile Buddhist monks has resigned from a top national post following reports of sexual misconduct, a religious association said Wednesday.

The Buddhist Association of China said its president Shi Xuecheng had passed his duties to a deputy.

The case, which was covered widely in the Chinese press and discussed on social media, was seen as a sign of the #metoo movement’s growing momentum in China. A small but increasing number of academics, entertainers and civil society activists have been called out for inappropriate behaviour, although the movement has yet to percolate into government circles.
• High-ranking Buddhist monk accused of sexual misconduct as #MeToo expands in China

The announcement of Xuecheng’s resignation was included in a report about the Buddhist association’s regular meeting and did not mention the controversy surrounding the powerful monk. Fellow monks accused Xuecheng earlier this year of harassing and demanding sexual favours from nuns at his Beijing monastery as well as embezzling funds, allegations that Xuecheng has denied on social media.

Xuecheng has not commented publicly on his resignation.

One of China’s best known monks and authors, Xuecheng was an influential political adviser to the central government while heading the national Buddhist association. His monastery in the outskirts of northwest Beijing, Longquan, is popular with educated Chinese, including many who give up high-paying jobs to devote their lives to religious study.

Two long-serving monks compiled a 95-page dossier on Xuecheng this year and turned it over to Beijing police. The document, which included alleged screenshots of the abbot’s text messages to nuns and the monastery’s financial statements, leaked on Chinese social media in July and became a national sensation. Xuecheng has dismissed the records as fabrications.

China has roughly 250 million Buddhists. That number is likely growing fast at a moment when some young Chinese are turning increasingly spiritual — and embracing Taoism, Christianity and Islam as well.

The powerful State Administration of Religious Affairs, which regulates religion under the Communist government, announced an investigation into Xuecheng last week.

The agency reposted the Buddhist Association of China’s report on its own website on Wednesday but did not carry additional comment or provide updates on its investigation.</s>BEIJING (Reuters) - One of China’s highest-ranking Buddhist monks quit as the head of the country’s Buddhist association on Wednesday after facing a government investigation over accusations of sexual misconduct.

The abbot of Longquan Temple on the outskirts of Beijing, who is also a member of the Communist Party’s top political advisory body, has denied accusations of harassing and demanding sexual favors from several nuns.

The Buddhist Association of China said in a statement on its website that it had accepted Master Xuecheng’s offer to resign from the chairmanship and other posts on Wednesday, without elaborating on the reasons.

China’s religious affairs administration launched an investigation following accusations leveled against the abbot in a document prepared by two former monks at the monastery.

Xuecheng issued a denial on his Weibo microblog account, saying the allegations stemmed from “fabricated material” and “distorted facts”.

The case is one of the most prominent to have arisen since the #MeToo movement began to gain momentum in China.

The Chinese #MeToo-style movement came in December last year and the hashtag #MeToo has so far appeared more than millions of times on Weibo, and while issues like sexual assault have traditionally been brushed under the carpet, the movement is changing mindset among the younger generation.</s>One of China's most high-profile monks has resigned from a top national post following reports of sexual misconduct.

The Buddhist Association of China says its president Shi Xuecheng (SHER SHWEI'-chung) left his duties to a deputy.

The announcement Wednesday was included in a periodic report and did not mention the national controversy surrounding the powerful monk. Fellow monks accused Xuecheng earlier this year of harassing and demanding sexual favors from nuns at his Beijing monastery and embezzling funds, allegations that Xuecheng has denied on social media.

Xuecheng has not commented publicly on his resignation.

He was one of China's best known monks and authors. He was also highly influential and served as a political adviser to the central government while heading the national Buddhist association.</s>Xuecheng, one of China’s most high-profile Buddhist monks, has resigned from a top national post following reports of sexual misconduct. (Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

BEIJING — One of China’s most high-profile Buddhist monks has resigned from a top national post following reports of sexual misconduct, a religious association said Wednesday.

The Buddhist Association of China said its president Xuecheng (SHWEI’-chung) had passed his duties to a deputy.

The case, which was covered widely in the Chinese press and discussed on social media, was seen as a sign of the #metoo movement’s growing momentum in China. A small but increasing number of academics, civil society activists and one of China’s best known television hosts have been called out for inappropriate behaviour, although the movement has yet to percolate into government circles.

The announcement of Xuecheng’s resignation was included in a report about the Buddhist association’s regular meeting and did not mention the controversy surrounding the powerful monk. Fellow monks accused Xuecheng earlier this year of harassing and demanding sexual favours from nuns at his Beijing monastery as well as embezzling funds, allegations that Xuecheng has denied on social media.

Xuecheng has not commented publicly on his resignation.

One of China’s best known monks and authors, Xuecheng was an influential political adviser to the central government while heading the national Buddhist association. His monastery in the outskirts of northwest Beijing, Longquan, is popular with educated Chinese, including many who give up high-paying jobs to devote their lives to religious study.

Two long-serving monks compiled a 95-page dossier on Xuecheng this year and turned it over to Beijing police. The document, which included alleged screenshots of the abbot’s text messages to nuns and the monastery’s financial statements, leaked on Chinese social media in July and became a national sensation. Xuecheng has dismissed the records as fabrications.

China has roughly 250 million Buddhists. That number is likely growing fast at a moment when some young Chinese are turning increasingly spiritual — and embracing Taoism, Christianity and Islam as well.

The powerful State Administration of Religious Affairs, which regulates religion under the Communist government, announced an investigation into Xuecheng last week.

The agency reposted the Buddhist Association of China’s report on its own website on Wednesday but did not carry additional comment or provide updates on its investigation.

Separately on Wednesday, lawyers representing Zhu Jun, a high-profile host on state-operated China Central Television, said they were suing social media users who posted and recirculated allegations of harassment against Zhu by one of his former interns.

Zhu, the host of CCTV’s Spring Festival evening gala and one of China’s most recognizable faces, has denied the allegations. Zhu’s lawyers posted their intentions on the popular Wechat social media platform.</s>A high-ranking monk has resigned his positions at the Buddhist Association of China after accusations of sexual assault and other misconduct made against him went viral on social media.

Xuecheng, who is also a member of China’s top political advisory body, stepped down as chairman and from other key roles after the State Administration for Religious Affairs launched an investigation earlier this month, the association said on Wednesday.

The 52-year-old, who is abbot of the well-known Longquan Temple on the outskirts of Beijing, was accused by two of the monastery’s former monks of coercing nuns into sex, building illegal temples and embezzling funds.

The claims were made in a 95-page document published by the pair on July 31 and promptly went viral on Chinese social media, fuelling support for the country’s #MeToo movement, which has been steadily gathering momentum.

Xuecheng denied the allegations in an online statement on August 1, saying they stemmed from “fabricated material” and “distorted facts”, but just a day later the religious affairs administration said it had started its own investigation.

The abbot’s resignation was announced at a Buddhist association meeting held to discuss measures to combat the commercialisation of Buddhism and Taoism, the group said in a statement.

Yanjue, abbot of Beijing’s Guangji Temple and deputy chairman of the association, will temporarily take over Xuecheng’s roles, it said.

Xuecheng did not respond to a request for comment.

Why Chinese women don’t speak out about sexual harassment in the workplace

Shi Xianjia and Shi Xianqi, the two women who compiled the damning report, said the abbot sent suggestive messages to two female monks at Longquan Temple and made unwanted sexual advances towards at least four others. The document was laden with detail, including screenshots of text messages said to have been sent by Xuecheng.

Other chapters outlined how he had overseen the illegal construction of several buildings at the monastery and embezzled funds.

Despite its now high profile, Shi Xianjia told China Newsweek on August 2 that it was not her intention to make the report public.

“Because that would have a negative impact on Buddhism,” she said. “At first we just showed it to some masters but then it was shared widely [online]. The government has taken some action and I don’t dare to say more.”

Neither Shi Xianjia nor Shi Xianqi have made any public statements since.

Longquan Temple is known as China’s hi-tech temple for its use of artificial intelligence technology to aid enlightenment and the development of a miniature robotic monk. Many of its monks are former top academics from prominent universities.

Both Shi Xianjia and Shi Xianqi have doctorates in engineering from the prestigious Tsinghua University.

At Wednesday’s meeting, the Buddhist association warned of the growing threat commercial activity poses towards monastic life.

“The commercialisation of Buddhism has disturbed the order of Buddhist activities, damaged the image and legal rights of Buddhism, and corrupted social values,” the statement said.</s>A top Buddhist monk in China has resigned from his post after accusations of sexual misconduct by multiple nuns.

Xuecheng was the president of the Buddhist Association of China. A statement on the organization's website posted Wednesday said that Xuecheng's resignation had been accepted at a council meeting.

Xuecheng "was an influential political adviser to the central government while heading the national Buddhist association," and is viewed as "one of China's best known monks and authors," according to The Associated Press.

He has publicly denied the reports of misconduct.

According to the South China Morning Post, the allegations came from a 95-page report written by two of the monastery's former monks and posted on social media.

The report alleged that the abbot "sent suggestive messages to two female monks at Longquan Temple and made unwanted sexual advances towards at least four others," the newspaper reports. "Other chapters outlined how he had overseen the illegal construction of several buildings at the monastery and embezzled funds."

"Longquan temple is under his spell ... Xuecheng manipulated disciples to serve his 'Buddhist empire,'" the report states, according to the BBC.

One of the report's authors, Monk Xianqi , told the broadcaster that they didn't intend to make it public and didn't know how it leaked. The monks had submitted the report to the police, the AP reported.

Chinese authorities had started looking into the report's claims. "China's top religious authority launched an investigation shortly after the allegations were made public," Agence France-Presse reported.

The news of Xuecheng's resignation was mid-way through a long account of the Wednesday council meeting. The account doesn't state the reason why the senior monk is leaving his post.

In the U.S., the #MeToo movement has seen many powerful men across multiple industries lose their jobs and reputations after allegations of sexual misconduct. NPR is among those organizations that have fired or suspended male executives accused of harassment.

#MeToo has had a smaller, but tangible, impact in China. According to the BBC, a professor was accused of sexual harassment in January and was later fired. "Since then, a veteran journalist, the founder of a prominent charity and another academic have figured among the accused public figures."</s>BEIJING (AP) — One of China’s most high-profile monks has resigned from a top national post following reports of sexual misconduct, a religious association said Wednesday.

The Buddhist Association of China says its president Xuecheng (SHWEI’-chung) left his duties to a deputy.

The announcement was included in a periodic report and did not mention the national controversy surrounding the powerful monk. Fellow monks accused Xuecheng earlier this year of harassing and demanding sexual favors from nuns at his Beijing monastery and embezzling funds, allegations that Xuecheng has denied on social media.

Xuecheng has not commented publicly on his resignation.

He was one of China’s best known monks and authors. He was also highly influential and served as a political adviser to the central government while heading the national Buddhist association. His monastery in the outskirts of northwest Beijing, Longquan, is known for being popular with educated Chinese, including many who give up high-paying jobs to devote their lives to religious study.</s>The head of China's government-run Buddhist association quit his post on Wednesday amid an investigation into allegations that he coerced several nuns into having sex with him.

Xuecheng, a Communist Party member and abbot of the Beijing Longquan Monastery, is one of the most prominent figures to face accusations in China's growing #MeToo movement.

In a 95-page report that circulated online late last month, two monks accused Xuecheng of sending explicit text messages to at least six women, threatening or cajoling them to have sex with him.

China's top religious authority launched an investigation shortly after the allegations were made public.

Xuecheng stepped down at a meeting of the Buddhist Association of China on Wednesday and passed his duties to a deputy.

'The council accepted Xuecheng's resignation as president of the Buddhist Association of China,' said a statement posted Wednesday on the association's website.

It was tucked into a long report detailing a council meeting which neither elaborated on the abbot's reasons for quitting nor referred to the recent probe.

The same statement was also posted by the State Administration for Religious Affairs, the government body overseeing religious groups.

A prominent personality in Chinese Buddhist life with a social media following of millions, Xuecheng's Twitter-like Weibo account has been silent since August 1, when he posted a statement rejecting allegations of sexual misconduct.

His monastery, Longquan, located in the outskirts of north-west Beijing, is popular with educated Chinese, including many who give up high-paying jobs to devote their lives to religious study.

In their report, the two monks, who are no longer members of the monastery, said four women gave in to Xuecheng's demands.

One of the authors said on social media that he was compelled to speak out after the victims were ignored by authorities who said they could not investigate the matter.

The report and posts about it have been taken down or censored on social media.

There is no legal definition of sexual harassment in China and no national regulations on how to handle sexual assault cases in schools and workplaces.

The #MeToo movement ignited in China earlier this year with more women starting to open up about sexual assaults, especially on university campuses.

Unlike in the West, where #MeToo has forced resignations and sparked widespread public debate, authorities in China have sought to control the discussion, sometimes allowing and at other times censoring social media commentary.

China has roughly 250 million Buddhists. That number is likely growing fast at a moment when some young Chinese are turning increasingly spiritual - and embracing Taoism, Christianity and Islam as well.
Following accusations by fellow monks of sexual misconduct and embezzling funds—accusations which were subsequently posted on social media—the Buddhist Association of China announces Shi Xuecheng's resignation from the office of president of that organization. Xuecheng had dismissed the records as a fabrication.