A group of Chinese economists have been accused of “treason” on the country’s social media amid sharp criticism of the women’s meeting with US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen over the weekend, Reuters and Bloomberg reported.

Yellen, who is considered a trailblazer for women in economics, had lunch in Beijing on Saturday with six Chinese economists at a meeting aimed at drawing attention to gender diversity in the economy. The US Treasury chief met her fellow economists after earlier meeting with Chinese government officials, most of whom were men.

After 10 hours of meetings with Chinese officials, Yellen said that despite serious differences between Beijing and Washington, the two sides would communicate more often.

In one post, which has garnered nearly 600 comments, a social media user accused Hao Jingfang, one of the economists who dined with Yellen, of being “not only a traitor, but also a radical feminist.”

Responding online to questions about the meeting, Hao said that “Yellen is the friendliest American official, she has always been committed to the development of friendly relations between China and the United States.”

But most commentators on social media were unconvinced, with some describing the Treasury chief in Washington as “obviously a dangerous person” and questioning why she was allowed to host the event when she was only a guest in the country.

Accusations of “rebellion” against Chinese women economists

Many users criticized the economists who attended her meeting for being “pro-American”.

“Look at this scumbag, an anti-espionage law could be useful [împotriva lor]”, wrote one user under the nickname Shan3847, while another said that “everyone at the table should be caught, none of them are innocent”.

“The United States has always been good in helping us catch the insurgents,” he added.

A senior U.S. Treasury official said before Saturday’s meeting that the lunch with Chinese economists would give Yellen an opportunity to “talk to a few people, a little bit outside of the normal power structure.”

Under President Xi Jinping, the number of women in Chinese politics and government has declined, and the gap between men and women in the workforce has widened. The development comes after Xi Jinping’s government emphasized the traditional role of women in Chinese society.

President Joe Biden appointed Yellen to head the U.S. Treasury on November 30, 2020, making her the first woman in U.S. history to hold the position after confirmation by the Senate.