Peng, 35, one of China’s most famous athletes, has accused former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of forcing her to have sex, according to a screenshot of a social media post that has since been deleted. 2/11.
Here’s what you need to know about the accusation – and fallout growth.
Who is Peng Shuai?
Peng is a two-time Grand Slam doubles champion and one of China’s top tennis players.
Hailing from Hunan, central China, the 35-year-old made history in 2014 when she became the first Chinese player – male or female – to achieve the world No. 1 spot in doubles.
The international success of Peng and fellow Chinese tennis stars Li Na and Zheng Jie is credited with helping the sport to become popular in China, especially among women.
Who is Zhang Gaoli and what accusations did Peng upgrade?
Zhang Gaoli, 75, served on the seven-man Politiburo Standing Committee of the ruling Communist Party – the country’s supreme governing body – from 2012 to 2017 during the leader’s first term in power Chinese leader Xi Jinping. He retired as deputy prime minister in 2018.
In a deleted social media post on November 2, Peng accused Zhang of forcing her to have sex and alleging an intermittent relationship that lasted at least 10 years.
About three years ago, after Zhang retired, the post alleges that Peng was invited by him to play tennis in Beijing. Later, she wrote, Zhang and his wife took Peng to their home, where Peng claimed she was pressured into having sex with Zhang.
“That afternoon, at first I disagreed and cried the whole time,” Peng wrote. After dinner with Zhang and his wife, and after much persuasion from Zhang, she was satisfied, according to the post.
“Why do you have to come back to me, take me back to your house to force me to have sex with you?” she writes.
“I can’t describe how disgusting I was, and how many times have I asked myself if I’m still human? I feel like a walking corpse. Each I act every day, who is the real me?”
Peng said she had no evidence to substantiate her allegations, adding that Zhang was always worried that she would record everything.
CNN was unable to independently verify the authenticity of posts over 1,600 words.
what happened to her?
Her post on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform, was deleted within 30 minutes of publication and censors removed any mention of the online accusation. Her Weibo account, which has more than half a million followers, remains blocked from searchers on the platform.
Peng has not been seen in public since the allegations and her whereabouts were not made public.
CNN has repeatedly reached out for comment to both her and China’s State Council, which handles press inquiries to the central government.
WTA team leader Simon told CNN that he chatted with his counterparts at the China Tennis Association, who made sure Peng was unharmed in Beijing. However, attempts to contact Peng directly were unsuccessful, he said.
What did the authorities say?
Chinese authorities have so far refused to publicly acknowledge Peng’s allegations against Zhang.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in separate comments on November 17 and 18 that the matter “is not a diplomatic matter” and declined to comment further to reporters.
But on November 17, Chinese state media released an email, purportedly sent to Simon’s WTA from Peng, countering her allegations and insisting she was fine.
Simon questioned the authenticity of the email, describing it as a “staged claim of some sort.” He asked China to provide “independent and verifiable evidence” that Peng was safe.
“Whether she was forced to write it, someone wrote it for her, we don’t know,” he said. “But at this point, I don’t think there’s any value in that and we won’t feel comfortable until we have had a chance to talk to her,” he added.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it would not comment on the matter and recommended a “silent diplomacy” approach, according to Reuters.
Peng’s disappearance has sparked a wave of concern, with some of the world’s top tennis players speaking out using the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai.
Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Billie Jean King and Chris Evert were among those who expressed shock and called for an investigation of her allegations.
What happens next?
There is considerable pressure on the Chinese authorities to provide evidence Peng is safe. WTA director Simon said he is willing to lose hundreds of millions of dollars doing business in China if she is not fully accounted for.
“We’re definitely ready to pull our business and deal with all the complications that come with it,” Simon said in a November 18 interview with CNN. “Because this is definitely, this is bigger than business,” he added.
The controversy could also affect the upcoming Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, which open on February 4.
The WTA proved stronger than other organizations that had previously clashed with the Chinese government on issues of freedom of expression and human rights. Sports stars or companies that speak out have faced public and political backlash, as well as loss of access.
Natasha Kassam, director of foreign policy and public opinion at the Lowy Institute, said the WTA has some leverage over China.
“Most of the other cases when we see China interfere with sports organizations, they don’t have any colleagues or teammates disappear. This is on another level. So the WTA’s response was very It’s powerful, it’s useful, and it’s using the leverage it has.”
CNN’s Nectar Gan, Rhea Mogul, Erin Burnett and Yong Xiong contributed to coverage.
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