One of China’s most recognizable athletes, 35-year-old Peng, accused former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of forcing her to have sex, according to a screenshot deleted from a social media post on November 2.
Here’s what you need to know about the allegation — and the repercussions that are developing.
Who is Peng Shuai?
Peng is a two-time Grand Slam doubles champion and one of China’s top tennis players.
From Hunan, in central China, the 35-year-old made history in 2014 when she became the first Chinese player – male or female – to achieve the world No. 1 doubles ranking.
The international success of Peng and fellow Chinese tennis stars Li Na and Zheng Jie have been credited with helping to increase the popularity of the sport in China, especially for the women’s game.
Who is Zhang Gaoli and what allegations did Peng make?
Zhang Gaoli, 75, served on the ruling Communist Party’s seven-member Politburo Standing Committee – the country’s highest leadership body – from 2012 to 2017 during Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s first term in power. He retired as Vice Premier in 2018.
In a social media post deleted since November 2, Peng accused Zhang of forcing her into sex and a relationship that lasted at least 10 years, an intermittent period.
About three years ago, after Zhang retired, the Post alleged that Peng had been invited by him to play tennis in Beijing. Later, she wrote, Zhang and his wife brought Peng to their home, where Peng claimed that he was pressured into having sex with Zhang.
“That afternoon I didn’t agree at first and was crying all the time,” Peng wrote. According to the Post, after dinner with Zhang and his wife, and after much persuasion by Zhang, she agreed.
“Why did you have to come back to me, take me to your house to force me to have sex with you?” she wrote.
“I can’t describe how disgusted I was, and how many times I asked myself if I’m still a human? I feel like a moving corpse. Every day I was acting, which person is it real?”
Peng said she did not have evidence to substantiate her allegations, and claimed that Zhang was always worried that she would record things.
CNN could not independently verify the authenticity of the post exceeding 1,600 words.
What has happened to her?
Her post on China’s Twitter-like platform Weibo was removed within 30 minutes of publication, and the censors removed any mention of the allegations online. Her Weibo account, which has over half a million followers, is still blocked from searchers on the platform.
Peng has not been seen in public since the allegation and his whereabouts have not been publicly disclosed.
CNN has repeatedly contacted him and China’s State Council for comment, which handles press inquiries for the central government.
WTA chief Simon told CNN he was in talks with counterparts from the Chinese Tennis Association, who assured that Peng was not harmed in Beijing. However, attempts to reach Peng directly proved unsuccessful, he said.
What have the officials said?
Chinese officials have so far refused to publicly acknowledge Peng’s allegations against Zhang.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in separate comments on November 17 and 18 that the issue was “not a diplomatic matter,” and declined to comment further to reporters.
But on November 17, Chinese state media released an email, purportedly sent from Peng to WTA’s Simon, retracting his allegations and claiming he was fine.
Simon cast doubt on the veracity of the email, calling it “some kind of staged statement”. He called on China to provide “independent and verifiable evidence” that Peng is secure.
“Whether he was forced to write it, someone wrote it for him, we don’t know,” he said. “But at this point I don’t think there’s any validity to it and we won’t be comfortable until we have a chance to speak with him,” he said.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said it would not comment on the matter and suggested that “quiet diplomacy” should be approached, according to Reuters.
Peng’s disappearance has sparked a wave of concern, with some of the world’s top tennis players using the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai.
Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Billie Jean King and Chris Evert are among those who expressed shock and demanded an investigation into their allegations.
what happens next?
There is a lot of pressure on Chinese officials to provide proof that Peng is safe. WTA chief Simon said he was set to lose hundreds of millions of dollars of business in China if China was not fully accounted for.
“We’re definitely prepared to pull our business and deal with all the complexities that come with it,” Simon said in an interview with CNN on Nov. 18. “Because it certainly is, it’s bigger than business,” he said.
The controversy could also affect the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, which begin on February 4.
The WTA has been more powerful than other organizations that have previously clashed with Chinese authorities over free speech and human rights issues. Sports stars or companies that speak out have suffered significant public and political backlash as well as loss of access.
Natasha Kasam, director of public opinion and foreign policy at the Lowy Institute, said the WTA has some advantage over China.
“In most other cases where we’ve seen China interfering with sports organizations, they have no ally or teammate missing. That’s on a different level. So the WTA’s response is strong, and it’s helpful, And it’s using whatever leverage it has.”
CNN’s Nectar Gan, Rhea Mogul, Erin Burnett and Yong Jeong contributed reporting.
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