American tennis star Serena Williams said that the incident of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai “must be investigated” and she also called on people to “not be silent about her rights.”
Since the 35-year-old Peng Shuai lodged allegations of sexual assault against Zhang Gaoli, the former deputy prime minister of China, two weeks ago, she has been silent.
“I hope she is safe and can be found as soon as possible,” Serena Williams said.
On November 3, Peng Shuai published the accusation against Zhang Gaoli, a 75-year-old former member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China and Vice Premier of the State Council, on the verified account of the Chinese social platform Weibo.
She claimed that she was “forced” to have sex with Zhang Gaoli, although she admitted in the article that she was unable to produce evidence to substantiate her allegations. Although her posts were quickly blocked, she has never appeared in public since then, and her name has also been blocked on multiple social platforms.
This is the first time that a senior Chinese leader has been accused of this kind.
Steve Simon, president of the International Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), said that Peng Shuai should be “listened to, not censored” on these allegations.
He also expressed doubts about the e-mails issued by Chinese state media, saying that it “will only trigger” people’s concerns about Peng Shuai’s safety.
“Hearing this news, I feel sad and shocked,” said Serena Williams, who won 23-time Grand Slam singles championship.
“This matter must be investigated, and we cannot remain silent,” she said. “At this incredibly difficult time, I show my love to her and her family.”
The tennis world seeks answers
Serena Williams is not the only tennis player to express concern about the Peng Shuai incident. In recent days, almost the entire tennis world has been vocal about this. Many retired and still active athletes, coaches and other well-known sports stars and politicians have expressed concern about her whereabouts.
On Twitter, many people used the hashtag “#WhereIsPengShuai” (#彭帅在哪) to post with a photo of her.
Currently ranked No. 1 in the world, Serbia’s men’s tennis player Novak Djokovic (Novak Djokovic) is one of the first famous players to discuss this issue. When asked about this question earlier this week, he said it was “shocking.”
Naomi Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner from Japan, often uses social media to talk about social issues, and she also expressed her concerns about Peng Shuai. She said, “In any case, the review is wrong. I hope Peng Shuai and her family are safe.”
On Thursday (November 18), Spanish football player Gerard Pique, who plays for Barcelona, became one of the most famous players outside of tennis who paid attention to the matter. He posted a picture of Peng Shuai.
Tennis Canada also issued a statement on Friday (November 19) stating that the association is “deeply concerned” about Peng Shuai’s health and safety and called for “she must be allowed to speak freely without censorship.” , And investigate her allegations in a completely transparent manner.”
Amnesty International stated that emails reportedly written by Peng Shuai “should not be taken seriously” in Chinese state media.
In an email published by CGTN, the person claiming to be Peng Shuai wrote in English that she was not missing or in distress, and said, “I just have been resting at home and everything is fine.” She also said that she was accused of sex. The accusation of infringement is false.
But the email caused a bigger wave. Some skeptics claim that this email can see a typing cursor, which is more like a screenshot of editing software.
Amnesty International questioned that China’s official media had “records” of “forcing individuals to make statements or simply fabricating statements”. Therefore, unless Peng Shuai’s personal whereabouts are confirmed, “other worries will not disappear”.
As China will host the Beijing Winter Olympics in more than two months, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also been asked to comment on this.
“Experience has shown that peaceful diplomacy provides the best opportunity to solve such problems,” said an IOC spokesperson. “This is why the International Olympic Committee will not comment further at this stage.”
Whereabouts unknown
Peng Shuai was once the world‘s number one player in women’s tennis doubles and won two Grand Slam titles-the Wimbledon Open in 2013 and the French Open in 2014. Both partners are Taiwanese player Xie Shuwei.
In 2011, Peng Shuai also won a career-high singles ranking of 14 and entered the US Open singles semi-finals in 2014. But since March 2020 after the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, she has not participated in the WTA Tour.
Her accusation is an incident involving the most powerful person in the #MeToo movement in China.
Zhang Gaoli, 75, did not respond to Peng Shuai’s statement. Zhang Gaoli served as Vice Premier of the State Council from 2013 to 2018 and had a good relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Sophie Richardson, director of the China Department of Human Rights Watch, said that the Peng Shuai incident showed that even influential, wealthy, or powerful people in China, “if what they do upsets The authorities can easily be blocked.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said when asked about the matter at a press conference on Thursday (November 18), “My answer is very simple. This is not a diplomatic issue, and I don’t have the relevant information.”
Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of the official tabloid Global Times, who often speaks about hot events, said in English on Twitter on Friday (November 19), “As a person familiar with the Chinese system, I don’t believe that Peng Shuai will do it because of what people talk about. , And was subject to retaliation and suppression by foreign media speculation.”
But beyond that, he did not provide more information.
“This disappearance in China has never been a good sign,” said Isabel Hilton, founder and senior consultant of China Dialogue. “I think this worry is totally justified.”