China facing WTA pullout over Peng disappearance

WTA chairman and CEO Steve Simon, who has expressed concern for Peng’s safety and called for a full investigation into the claims, told CNN on Thursday, “we’re definitely willing to pull our business and deal with all the complications that come with it.”

Simon’s remarks come as momentum is building for a boycott of Beijing’s 2022 Winter Olympics in protest of human rights abuses. President Biden on Thursday said his administration is “considering” a diplomatic boycott, in which government officials would abstain from attending the Games but athletes would still compete.

On Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian called U.S. allegations of mass repression of minorities in Xinjiang, the main impetus behind calls for the boycott, “a joke to Chinese people.”

“Politicizing sports is against the Olympic spirit and harms the interests of athletes from all countries,” he said.

Peng, who in 2014 became the first Chinese tennis player to be ranked No. 1 in doubles in the WTA, has competed in three Olympic Games. On Thursday, the International Olympic Committee took a different approach from the WTA and said in a statement that it had “seen the latest reports” regarding Peng and was “encouraged by assurances that she is safe.”

The post on Peng’s official Weibo profile on Nov. 2 marked the most high-profile #MeToo allegation in China where authorities have squashed the grassroots movement, as well as an unprecedented public accusation against a top Chinese official. The post, whose authenticity could not be independently verified by The Washington Post, was removed within half an hour and all discussion of Peng has since been censored.

China has maintained silence over Peng’s case. Asked about her on Thursday, spokesman Zhao said he was “not aware” of the case, according to the Associated Press. The exchange was not included in the ministry’s official summary of the briefing released later.

On Friday, Hu Xijin, the editor of the state-run Global Times posted on Twitter, a platform that is blocked in China but used by Chinese diplomats and state media to target international audiences, that he did not believe Peng had “received retaliation and repression speculated by foreign media for the thing people talked about.”

Yet the case continues to garner international attention as tennis stars including Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams and Billie Jean, posting under the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai, calling for Peng’s whereabouts to be accounted for. A statement purportedly by Peng, released by state-run China Global Television Network on Wednesday, only added fuel to concerns over the tennis player’s safety.

“I’m not missing, nor am I unsafe. I’ve just been resting at home and everything is fine,” read the message, which CGTN said was sent by email to Simon. The WTA issued a statement in response, with Simon saying that he had a “hard time believing that Peng actually wrote the email” or “believes what is being attributed to her.”

Observers warned that Peng’s statement — a reminder of previous cases where, following international outcry, disappeared residents re-emerged on camera to say that they were fine — should not be taken at face value.

“The Chinese government has a long history of arbitrarily detaining people involved in controversial cases, controlling their ability to speak freely, and making them give forced statements,” said William Nee, research and advocacy coordinator for the non-profit Chinese Human Rights Defenders.

In the post published on Peng’s account, Peng said that three years ago, Zhang and his wife invited her to their home for a meal. There Zhang coerced an unwilling Peng into having sex with him and the two entered into a long-term affair. Zhang, who is four decades older than her, was China’s vice premier from 2013 until 2018 when he retired.

“That afternoon I didn’t agree at first and kept crying,” the post said, adding, “I know I can’t say it all clearly, and that there’s no use in saying it. But I still want to say it.”