The BBC’s China editor Carrie Gracie has resigned from her post, citing pay inequality with male colleagues.
In an open letter, Ms Gracie – who has been at the BBC for more than 30 years – accused the corporation of having a “secretive and illegal pay culture”.
She said the BBC was facing a “crisis of trust”, after it was revealed two-thirds of its stars earning more than £150,000 were male.
The BBC said there was “no systemic discrimination against women”.
Ms Gracie said she left her role as editor of the corporation’s Beijing bureau last week, but would remain with the BBC.
She said she would return to her former post in the TV newsroom “where I expect to be paid equally”.
Ms Gracie is co-presenting BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday.
In the letter, posted on her blog, Ms Gracie – a China specialist who is fluent in Mandarin – said “the BBC belongs to you, the licence fee payer.
“I believe you have a right to know that it is breaking equality law and resisting pressure for a fair and transparent pay structure.”
Source: BBC