BEIJING: The head of the women’s professional tennis tour has questioned the legitimacy of what Chinese state media said was retracted by the Grand Slam doubles champion who has accused a former top government official of sexual harassment.
WTA President & CEO Steve Simon said on Wednesday that a statement attributed to Peng Shuai and tweeted by CGTN, the international arm of Chinese state broadcaster CCTV – which it said contained the contents of an email to Simon – “ My only concern about his safety & whereabouts.”
Peng is a 35-year-old Chinese player & former number one player in women’s doubles, having won titles at Wimbledon in 2013 & the French Open in 2014.
She wrote in a lengthy social media post earlier this month that a former deputy prime minister & member of the ruling Communist Party’s Politburo Standing Committee had forced her to have sex despite repeated refusals.
The post was removed from her verified account on Weibo, a major Chinese social media platform, & the country’s state-controlled media has suppressed all reporting on the matter.
Simon called for a full investigation on Sunday & demanded that Peng not be censored. ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi & four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka are among those who have raised concerns about the case & Peng’s safety.
A statement provided to Peng by CGTN on Wednesday included a reference to his allegation being “not true.”
As the foreign arm of the state broadcaster CCTV, CGTN is one of several propaganda tools operated by the ruling Communist Party in an attempt to influence foreign opinion. It has been sanctioned on several occasions by British TV regulator Ofcom for broadcasting forced confessions by a British businessman, a Hong Kong bookseller & an employee of the UK consulate in Hong Kong.
Simon said, “I’m finding it hard to believe that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or believes what is being attributed to him.” “Peng Shuai showed incredible courage in describing a sexual assault allegation against a former top official in the Chinese government. The WTA & the rest of the world need independent & verifiable proof that he is safe. I have repeatedly looked through multiple means. Tried to reach out to him. Forms of communication, to no avail.”
Simon’s statement issued by the WTA continued: “Peng Shuai should be allowed to speak freely without coercion or intimidation from any source. His allegation of sexual harassment must be respected, with complete transparency. And it should be investigated without censorship. Women’s voices need to be heard & respected, not censored or directed.”
Peng wrote that Zhang Gaoli forced her to have sex three years ago, despite repeated refusals after a round of tennis. She said that Zhang’s wife guarded the door during the incident.
Her post also said that he had sex once seven years ago or after that he had feelings for her.
As is always the case for retired Chinese officials, 75-year-old Zhang disappeared from the public eye after his retirement in 2018 & has no intimate professional or political ties with current leaders.
Peng won 23 Tour-level doubles titles & was a singles semifinalist at the 2014 US Open. She has not competed on the tour since the Qatar Open in February 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic forced tennis to take a hiatus.
Peng also participated in three Olympics. The International Olympic Committee & China are organizing the Beijing Winter Games starting on February 4; The IOC said on Wednesday it had seen reports about Peng & was in contact with the International Tennis Federation.
His charge against a prominent government official was the first since the #MeToo movement took hold in China in 2018 following a massive shutdown by authorities that same year.
Responding to a question at Wednesday’s daily briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said he had no information about Peng’s situation.