China Silent on Missing Tennis Star, Despite Global Pressure
An email purportedly from a Chinese professional tennis player that a Chinese state media outlet posted on Twitter has increased concerns about her safety as the sport's biggest stars and others abroad call for information about her well-being and whereabouts.
So far, those calls have been met by silence.
Chinese officials have said nothing publicly since the accusation about two weeks ago by Grand Slam doubles champion Peng Shuai that she was sexually assaulted by a former top government official. The first #MeToo case to reach the political realm in China has not been reported by the domestic media and online discussion of it has been highly censored.
Steve Simon, the chairman and CEO of the Women's Tennis Association, questioned the authenticity of the email intended for him, in which Peng says she is safe and that the assault allegation is untrue. It was posted Thursday by CGTN, the international arm of Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.
"I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or believes what is being attributed to her," Simon wrote.
The statement, he added, "only raises my concerns as to her safety and whereabouts."
