Sexual consent has no blurred lines

Chinese social media has been abuzz with reactions to a controversial scene from a popular TV series featuring actress Dong Jie. In the drama, Zhao Xun's character accepts expensive gifts worth 880,000 yuan, sparking accusations of her being too willing to accept such generous offers and possibly compromising on her personal values and morals.

The acceptance of these gifts has led many netizens to question the boundaries between consent and exploitation in relationships, especially when it comes to power dynamics. The discussion quickly escalated from just a fictional drama to a broader examination of societal attitudes towards consent, gender roles, and the influence of wealth on personal decisions.

One netizen expressed concern about the implications of accepting such gifts, stating that it could be misconstrued as sexual consent. "Accepting a gift is sexual consent," they wrote. "OMG, I can't even accept birthday presents anymore... Sexual consent is not half-heartedness or what you think is consent. It's the right place at the right time with the right atmosphere."

Another netizen raised the issue of gender inequality and power imbalances in relationships, pointing out that it was acceptable for men to openly name girls in discussions but not vice versa. "Why are they all clear to call girls names, and for a change why is this guy sexually suggesting girls by giving them $880,000 gifts in the name of his job?" they asked.

The debate also extended beyond the TV series, with netizens discussing real-life situations where women felt pressured into accepting favors or opportunities due to societal expectations and fear of losing out on potential benefits. "Fear of losing the opportunity to lose vested interests and lose the future, but also in the pay after the regret. The world where regret ah," wrote one netizen.

In response to these concerns, some netizens suggested seeking guidance from legal experts or books on sexual consent. Luo Xiang, a Chinese lawyer known for his work on the concept of sexual consent, was mentioned by several netizens