BEIJING – It is time for Beijing to come clean and offer proof of life on missing tennis star Peng Shuai who had gone missing after accusing a powerful politician of sexual assault.
Her welfare had evoked concern from foreign governments and even the United Nations (UN) which had raised the grim prospect that the 35-year-old Peng Shuai could have suffered a worse fate.
The 35-year-old Peng, a former world number one in doubles, has not been heard from since Nov 2 when she posted an allegation on China’s version of Twitter - like Weibo that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli had assaulted her and that she had been in a long-time on-off relationship with him.
It was the first time that the #MeToo movement has struck at the top echelons of China's ruling Communist Party.
Below, AFP has listed a chronology of events as Peng Shuai’s fate is still unknown.
The allegation
On November 2, Peng appears to have posted on China's Twitter-like Weibo damaging claims about former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli. Peng alleged that he had coerced her into sex during a long-time on-off relationship.
There has been no response from Zhang, who is in his seventies.
The censorship
Peng's post was soon deleted, but not before social media users took screenshots. Those were censored on China's heavily vetted Internet and still are.
But Peng's allegation was posted to Twitter - which is banned in China - allowing it to reach a worldwide audience.
Peng still comes up on search results online in China, but her allegations do not, and searches for her and Zhang together also show nothing.
The outcry
On Twitter, #WhereIsPengShuai began to gain traction, with tennis players past and present using the hashtag to voice concern for her safety.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka wrote that she was “in shock”, with tennis great Serena Williams stating she was "devastated and shocked" and calling for an investigation.
Men's world number one Novak Djokovic told reporters: “Honestly, it's shocking that she's missing.”
The official response
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) called for Peng's allegations to “be investigated fully, fairly, transparently and without censorship.”
WTA chairperson Steve Simon said he had been told "from several sources" that Peng was safe.
China's tennis association did not reply to AFP requests for comment and the foreign ministry also declined to comment.
The political reaction
As the outcry grew over Peng's case, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said the Biden administration wanted China to “provide independent, verifiable proof” of Peng's whereabouts.
Meanwhile, the United Nations also weighed in, insisting on a fully transparent investigation into her claims.
The email, photos
There was a new twist when China's state-run CGTN published a screenshot on Twitter of an email it alleged was from Peng to the WTA in which she claimed her accusations were “not true” and “everything is fine”.
Doubts were quickly flagged about the awkward language and a cursor visible in the screenshot. Simon said it “only raises my concerns.”
Late Friday, four undated photographs - which could not be independently verified by AFP - were shared by the Twitter account @shen_shiwei, labelled by the social media giant as “Chinese state-affiliated media” – AFP, November 20, 2021
