Police advise women to 'cover up'

Beijing police and public transport authorities have published a guideline to prevent the sexual harassment of passengers on buses and subways, but experts doubt it will solve the problem at its root.

The guideline, published by the traffic department under the Beijing Public Security Bureau on Monday, says women should not wear minimal clothing, such as mini skirts or hot pants when taking public transportation and should call police promptly if they are sexually harassed.

Women are advised to not sit on higher levels of buses and to stand on lower stairs, to avoid being the target of inappropriate picture-taking, and they should shelter their bodies with bags, magazines and newspapers.