Concern grows for tennis player who accused Chinese official of sexual assault

“What we would say is that it would be important to have proof of her whereabouts and well-being, and we would urge that there be an investigation with full transparency into her allegations of sexual assault,” a spokesperson for the U.N. Human Rights Office told reporters Friday, according to CNN.

PENG SHUAI: WHO IS THE CHINESE TENNIS PLAYER AND HAS SHE GONE MISSING?

Peng accused Zhang Gaoli, a former vice-premier of China, of forcing her to have sex with him. She made the accusation in a Nov. 2 post on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The post was deleted within 30 minutes along with other content on her page, CNN reported. Chinese censors even briefly scrubbed the Chinese word for tennis, “wangqiu,” according to the Daily Mail.

Zhang served as the vice-premier of China from 2013 to 2018.

Chinese officials have attempted to assuage concerns about Peng’s disappearance. On Friday, Chinese state media reporter Shen Shiwei posted photos that he said came from Peng’s WeChat showing her playing with her cat.

On Wednesday, CGTN (a Chinese state-run television network) published an email that Peng sent to Steve Simon, the chairman and CEO of the Women’s Tennis Association. In the email, she allegedly said that she was “fine,” that she was “not missing,” and that the allegation of sexual assault was not true.

And on Saturday, Editor-in-Chief Hu Xijin of the Global Times (a Chinese state-run newspaper) posted videos allegedly showing Peng, her friends, and her coach dining at a restaurant.

The first video reportedly shows Peng, who did not speak, sitting with a man and two women. According to Sky News, the man asks whether “tomorrow is the 20th of November,” and one of the women repeatedly replies that the date would be “Nov. 21.” The second video shows a woman with a face mask entering the restaurant, with Fox News reporting that the date on the door was smudged out.

In response, Simon said Saturday, “While it is positive to see her, it remains unclear if she is free and able to make decisions and take actions on her own, without coercion or external interference. This video alone is insufficient.”

“As I have stated from the beginning, I remain concerned about Peng Shuai’s health and safety and that the allegation of sexual assault is being censored and swept under the rug,” he said.

Simon also said Wednesday that “I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or believes what is being attributed to her. The WTA and the rest of the world need independent and verifiable proof that she is safe. I have repeatedly tried to reach her via numerous forms of communication, to no avail.”

He also threatened to cut business from China on Thursday if the country did not provide proof of Peng’s safety, saying that this issue was “bigger than the business.”

Tennis star Serena Williams weighed into the controversy too, saying, “This must be investigated and we must not stay silent.”

This is an escalation from previous responses of celebrities and businesses to human rights concerns in China. For example, NBA star LeBron James responded to Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey’s controversial tweet in support of the 2019 Hong Kong protests by saying that he was “not educated.”

The NBA also initially blocked fans from creating custom T-shirts that said “FreeHongKong” and then caved to public backlash.

In March, actor John Cena apologized to China in Mandarin for referring to Taiwan as an independent nation.

Peng’s apparent disappearance has even attracted attention from some members of Congress. Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio released a statement criticizing China for the lack of transparency in the star’s well-being.

He also called for the International Olympic Committee to move the 2022 Winter Olympics out of Beijing.

“Peng Shuai’s disappearance is just the latest in a long list of immoral and inhumane actions committed by the Chinese Communist Party,” Rubio said. “It is time for the IOC to relocate the Games, even if that means postponing them, and treat the Chinese Communist Party like the evil, abusive regime that it is.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

This is not the first time a high-profile figure in China has gone missing after criticizing a leader in the Chinese Communist Party.

Chinese billionaire Jack Ma, who founded e-commerce giant Alibaba, disappeared for nearly three months after he publicly criticized Chinese regulators.

It is unclear if the Chinese government plans to investigate the claims or take action against Zhang.