Where is Peng Shuai? New interview from Beijing Olympics raises fresh concerns
Peng Shuai is a Chinese woman at the top of her game – tennis. The three-time Olympian with 25 tour titles to her name, Shuai became the first person – man or woman – in China to reach world No 1 in doubles. But last November she disappeared abruptly after publicly accusing top Chinese political leader, Zhang Gaoli, of sexual assault.
WHAT DID PENG SHUAI SAY IN THE FRENCH INTERVIEW?
Now, in a second interview to non-Chinese media on the sidelines of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Peng told French newspaper L’Equipe that her Weibo post accusing Zhang was misunderstood and that she never claimed to be sexually assaulted. She also hinted at retiring from tennis.
The 35-year-old Chinese tennis star told the French news outlet, “This post has given rise to a huge misunderstanding from the outside world.”
“I hope that we no longer distort the meaning of this post. And I also hope that we don’t add more hype on this,” she told the French publication.
Peng Shuai : "My life has been what it's supposed to be: nothing special"For the first time since her public reappearance and the turmoil caused by her 2 November message, Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai talks to an international and independent medium.https://t.co/9ScZouFxA3
— Quentin Moynet (@QuentinMoynet) February 6, 2022
During the same interview, she also announced her retirement from the sport.
“Tennis completely changed my life. It brought me joy, challenges, and so much more. Sometimes it's hard to say goodbye and retire... Even if I no longer participate in professional competitions, I will always be a tennis player," she said.
This is not the first time that Peng made a U-turn on her claim of being sexually assaulted by the former political leader. Before this, in an interview with a Singaporean news outlet, she had made similar claims.
SO, WHY IS THE WORLD CONCERNED?
Peng Shuai’s disappearance caught the world’s attention and concern. So much so, that the Women’s Tennis Association pulled out of Beijing 2022 Olympics citing Peng’s disappearance, China’s censorship and the human rights issue.
“It’s always good to see Peng Shuai, whether in an interview or attending the Olympic Games. However, her recent in-person interview does not alleviate any of our concerns about her initial post from November 2nd. We continue to hold firm on our position."
— wta (@WTA) February 7, 2022
But why is the world still concerned when Peng Shuai has emerged in public and given interviews to non-Chinese media claiming she was not sexually assaulted?
For one, the L’Equipe interview was reported to be highly controlled by Chinese state officials, with the questions being submitted in advance and the presence of a Chinese Olympic Committee member translating Peng’s answers from Chinese.
The Western media has claimed that Peng Shuai gave these interviews and walked back on her allegations under pressure exerted by the Chinese state officials.
It didn’t help that the French news outlet never questioned Peng about what her Weibo post meant if she claimed it was misunderstood.
Note #PengShuai wore a jacket w “中国” (China) on it in Dec itvw; she again wore a “中国”jacket in l’equipe itvw. It’s by design, from what she says to what she wears. It’s the Chinese govt claiming sovereignty over Peng Shuai. It’s a warning to foreigners, especially to @WTA https://t.co/es76l9Vpja pic.twitter.com/QH4hRpWxWj
— Yaxue Cao (@YaxueCao) February 7, 2022
WTA released a statement reacting to Peng’s interview saying, “Her recent in-person interview does not alleviate any of our concerns about her initial post from November 2nd... As we would do with any of our players globally, we have called for a formal investigation into the allegations by the appropriate authorities and an opportunity for the WTA to meet with Peng - privately - to discuss her situation.”
WHAT IS THE STORY?
While the Chinese state officials and media may try to put a plug on the Peng Shuai controversy and try to change the narrative by involving even the victim of the case in questionable interviews, here are some facts that don’t change:
支持彭帅 pic.twitter.com/EYO183fBlJ
— 巴丢草 Badiucao?? (@badiucao) November 2, 2021
1. Peng Shuai on November 2, 2021, put out a Weibo post accusing Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault. The post has been deleted now. And any Weibo search for ‘Peng Shuai’, ‘Zhang Gaoli’ or even Peng’s account fails to show up any results, thanks to the Chinese censorship. However, Peng has not denied putting out the said post, though she had claimed that it was misunderstood, she has not clarified on what it meant.
2. The accused, Zhang Gaoli, has not responded to the accusation despite an international outcry and even remained off the public grid.
3. No official Chinese state member or Peng’s close family and friends have responded to the controversy either, with only the state media and state media-affiliated journalists putting out social media posts trying to refute claims that Peng is in danger. Moreover, the discussion on the topic has only happened on Twitter and other Western mediums that are banned in China, and look clearly aimed as a response to the Western audience. There is little to no discussion on the topic in mainland China.
Peng Shuai’s WeChat moments just posted three latest photos and said “Happy weekend”. Her friend shared the three photos and the screenshot of Peng’s WeChat moments. pic.twitter.com/tut8CEH6gu
— Shen Shiwei 沈诗伟 (@shen_shiwei) November 19, 2021
While she met the International Olympic Committee members on the sidelines of the Beijing Olympics and was also photographed watching a Game with the President of IOC Thomas Bach, the appearances have done little to allay the fears of the international community. IOC has also come under fire from human rights groups for working with the Chinese state.
The censorship of such a critical accusation against a top political leader means that China will go to any length to suppress information on violence in mainland China being leaked out to the world.