帮我翻译下面内容heated online debate on the definition of sexual harassment has broken out in China in the wake of a series of allegations made against an influential screenwriter, rekindling interest in the country’s struggling #MeToo movement.

 

Shi Hang, 52, a well-known figure in China’s media and literary circles, lost work with several businesses after more than a dozen young women came forward with allegations of sexual harassment against him.

 

The controversy has underscored the resilience of China’s #MeToo movement, which has suffered frequent setbacks due to censorship and an ongoing crackdown on feminist activism.

 

In a string of social media posts and interviews with Chinese state media, Shi’s accusers – who did not reveal their real names – described a pattern of alleged misconduct that ranged from sexually suggestive remarks to groping and kissing, in incidents reportedly spanning over a decade.

 

Shi has strongly denied the accusations of sexual harassment in two separate statements and claimed the encounters were consensual.

 

“I have never imposed against a woman’s will, nor have I used my so-called powerful position to violate anyone,” he wrote last week on Weibo, China’s highly restricted Twitter-like platform, where he boasts three million followers.

 

In his defense, Shi also posted selected screenshots of conversations with his accusers, which appear to show they did not object to his flirtatious remarks.

 

His accusers later rebutted his defense, saying the stark power imbalance between them – a well-established and respected name versus young fans and women looking to break into the industry – made it difficult to push back against Shi.

 

“As the party with more power, Shi Hang till this day still believes he can be the one to define what is ‘appropriate’ and what constitutes sexual harassment,” five of his accusers said in an online statement, reported by multiple state media outlets. “This is precisely the conventional thinking of those with power.”

 

Shi and the accusers did not respond to CNN’s requests for comment.

 

The fallout

 

The allegations have since sparked furious debate on Chinese social media, with related hashtags trending for days and racking up hundreds of millions of views on Weibo.

 

Some users defended Shi and referred to the encounters as “just flirting.” Others rallied to support Shi’s accusers, arguing entrenched gender inequality has created a culture that normalizes sexual harassment against women.

 

Dai An, a feminist in the southwestern city of Chengdu, said Chinese women have become more willing to speak up. “It’s a different era now, and the environment that was once acquiesced has changed,” she told CNN.

 

“Women don’t want to be silent anymore, and they don’t want to tolerate men using sex as an outlet to showcase their power.”

 

Several businesses have since cut ties with Shi, who also reviews books and movies, and makes guest appearances at cultural events and on variety shows.

 

Xiron, a publishing house in Beijing, announced it would remove a book endorsement by Shi from “Fang Si-Chi’s First Love Paradise,” which tells the story of a 13-year-old girl being coerced into sex by her teacher. The book became an influential part of Taiwan’s #MeToo movement for its themes of power and vulnerability.

 

Other businesses that have terminated deals with Shi include New Weekly, a Guangzhou-based news magazine, and a bookstore and a theater in the capital Beijing.

 

It is believed to be the first time that a number of Chinese organizations have publicly terminated their relationship with a celebrity due to alleged sexual harassment, said a prominent Chinese feminist, now based in New Jersey, who did not wish to be named.

 

“This undoubtedly shows that feminists are more powerful than ever in driving public opinion, and therefore in creating pressure on institutions to give in,” she added

 

But the public pressure succeeded only because these institutions could not resort to the protection of censorship and government support, the feminist added.