Prosecutors drop sexual assault case against Alibaba manager

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese prosecutors have dropped a case against a former Alibaba manager accused of sexual assault by a female colleague, weeks after the case caused a backlash against the e-commerce firm for how it handles alleged sexual misconduct. The former manager, whose last name is Wang, was detained by police in August after a female Alibaba employee accused him of sexual assault while on a business trip to the northern Chinese city of Jinan. According to a statement posted on Weibo by Jinan police late Monday night, prosecutors in Jinan did not approve Wang’s arrest and he received a 15-day detention instead. The move drew widespread criticism online, with many lamenting the lack of protection for women in sexual assault cases.