The country's first sexual harassment lawsuit was recently heard by a court in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province, Xinhua News Agency reported.

A female staff member in her 30s filed the suit in Lianhu District People's Court against her employer.

The accuser, surnamed Tong, said that beginning in 1994 the company manager deliberately touched her body on many occasions at the office while promising her a good job.

She said he asked her to go to a hotel room he had booked.

When Tong's boss was reprimanded, the manager made things difficult for her and withheld her bonus and allowance, she claimed.

Tong said she was angry and upset, and had to stay at home. When she went back to work, her unit refused to give her a job and urged her to withdraw the petition, she claimed.

The accuser's lawyer said that he is not confident in winning the case because there is no law on sexual harassment in China.

(eastday.com November 21, 2001)