Demands for Chinese #MeToo Tennis star's whereabouts grow; US, France ask 'Where Is Peng?'

As demands for the People’s Republic of China to hand proof of tennis star Peng Shuai's whereabouts grew louder, the United States on Friday said that it is "deeply concerned" by Peng's reported disappearance. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told a regular presser that the Biden administration will ask Beijing to provide “independent and verifiable proof of her [Peng Shuai’s] whereabouts and that she is safe.” Psaki agreed that the United States, at this time, did not have any additional information regarding the player. 

"We will continue to stand up for the freedom of speech, and we know the PRC has zero-tolerance for criticism and a record of silencing those that speak out, and we continue to condemn those practices," Psaki told reporters at the White House, as she used the acronym to refer to the People's Republic of China (PRC). 

Chinese tennis player Peng had accused the former Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of forcing her into having sex with him in what she described as a brutal sexual assault incident almost three years ago that left her emotionally and mentally wrecked. In a since-deleted social media letter that she posted on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Nov. 2, the Chinese athlete made #MeToo allegations on the 75-year-old ex-member of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s powerful Chinese Communist Party, the Politburo Standing Committee. The said politician, married at the time of the sexual assault, retired in 2018.

In what is being suspected as the political crackdown against the tennis star by the Chinese Communist Party, her post was taken down abruptly, and immediate online censorship was instated on her account. Chinese authorities scrambled to block the word “tennis” that returned her profile suggestions on Weibo, Peng's complete name, as well as any search keyword that would trace back to her case, was deleted from the platform. While China’s Foreign Ministry claimed that it had no knowledge about the incident relating to the 35-year-old tennis player, concerns grew worldwide regarding Peng’s whereabouts as she hasn't been seen for weeks. 

Acclaimed Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka demanded that China's answer where the player disappeared by using the hashtag #WhereisPengShuai "I was recently informed of a fellow tennis player that has gone missing shortly after revealing that she has been sexually abused," Osaka wrote on Twitter. Osaka also hit out at China’s censorship and crackdown on dissent as she said, ”Censorship is never ok at any cost, I hope Peng Shuai and her family are safe and ok.” Several other Tennis stars have also joined forces with the #WhereispengShuai movement. . 

Meanwhile, France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, joined the US in echoing China's condemnation for Peng’s disappearance as it said that Paris has been "greatly concerned by the lack of information on the whereabouts of tennis player Peng Shuai, which is worrying the international community and the sports community.”

The ministry responded to a reporter’s question of whether the French government is expressing doubt on the safety of the tennis player made famous by the Rolland-Garros tournament. 

“We are concerned,” the response statement issued by the ministry on the situation of Peng Shuai on Nov. 19 read. “We call on the Chinese authorities to implement their commitments to the fight against violence against women, specifically under the national domestic violence law that came into effect in 201,” the French Foreign Ministry stated.

“France is committed to promoting the freedom of speech, gender equality, and the fight against sexual and sexist violence worldwide,” the French Foreign Ministry asserted. 

Suspicion over 'fake email', Peng Shuai's second WeChat account with 'Chinese flag' as DP

Chinese state broadcaster CGTN earlier this week published an e-mail purported to have been penned by Peng, which has come under global scrutiny. It allegedly claimed that the tennis star is "fine" and "resting at home" and that the previous allegation of sexual assault against the former Chinese politician was "not true." The email has triggered a furor in the media worldwide, as the United Nations immediately released a statement demanding, that China provides proof of former doubles world No 1 Peng Shuai's whereabouts. UN responded to reports that the Chinese female player has allegedly not been seen in public since she made the #MeeToo allegations against former CCP politician

“It would be important to have proof of her whereabouts and wellbeing and we would urge that there be an investigation with full transparency into her allegations of sexual assault,” Liz Throssell, a spokesperson for UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet, said at a news conference in Geneva this Friday.

The controversy spiralled further after photos, purporting to show the tennis player, were released by a Chinese state-affiliated journalist. Images posted by China Global Television Network staff raised suspicion as they appeared to show Peng's new WeChat account with the Chinese Flag as the DP. “Her friend shared the three photos and the screenshot of Peng’s WeChat moments,” the Chinese state media journalist wrote on Twitter, which sparked questions about authenticity and whether they were posted by Peng herself.

Women's Tennis Association (WTA) responded promptly, threatening to pull its tournaments out of China if PRC did not provide an adequate response to sexual assault allegation against the former senior Chinese politician, and failed to give proof of whereabouts of the Chinese tennis player. Executive chairman of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the men’s tennis governing body, released a second statement shortly raising concerns about Peng's welfare.

“Developments in recent days in the case of Peng Shuai are deeply unsettling,” Andrea Gaudenzi, the executive chairman of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) said in a statement. “Her safety is our most immediate concern and clarity is required on the situation. The need for verifiable direct communication with her is vital.”

Men’s world No 1, Novak Djokovic, after his victory over Britain’s Cam Norrie at the ATP Finals in Turin, said he supported “100%” the WTA’s threat to pull events out of China. “I support the statement of WTA,” he told reporters.