China says 'not aware of situation' involving tennis star Peng Shuai as UN calls for probe

China’s Foreign Ministry on Friday, 19 November, reiterated its stance of not being aware of the controversy stirring around the country’s tennis professional Peng Shuai who disappeared after accusing a former senior official of sexually assaulting her. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told the reporters that Peng’s matter was “not a diplomatic question and I’m not aware of the situation.” As per AP, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has repeatedly disavowed knowledge of the issue since the player made the accusation over two weeks ago.

35-year-old Shuai is also a former top-ranked player in women’s doubles and has bagged titles at Wimbledon in 2013 and the French Open in 2014. She also participated in at least three Olympics. Therefore, her sudden disappearance has become more evident especially as China is set to host Winter Games starting 4 February. Meanwhile, Liz Throssell, a spokeswoman for the United Nations human rights office in Geneva, said on Friday that the body was calling for “an investigation with full transparency into her allegation of sexual assault.”

“And I think we would say that that should be the case into all allegations of sexual assault. It is really important to ensure accountability, to ensure justice for the victims,” she said.

International Olympic Committee declined to comment

AP stated that the International Olympic Committee declined to comment on Friday. IOC said in an email statement, “Experience shows that quiet diplomacy offers the best opportunity to find a solution for questions of such nature. This explains why the IOC will not comment any further at this stage.” Peng wrote in a lengthy social media post on 2 November that she was pressurised to have sex three years ago with Zhang Gaoli in his home despite repeated refusals. Zhang is a 75-year-old former vice-premier who was a member of the ruling Communist Party’s influential Politburo Standing Committee.

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has even threatened to pull its tournaments out of China if Peng is not fully accounted for and her allegation of sexual assault against China's former Vice Premier is not properly probed. "We are ready to abandon our business and deal with all the consequences that come with it. Because it is unquestionably larger than the business," WTA chairman Steve Simon was quoted as saying by CNN. 

(IMAGE: AP)