The Widespread "Disappearance Fear" in Chinese Society... Chaebols and Celebrities Vanish

Following the disappearance of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai after she accused someone of sexual assault, concerns have been raised not only by world tennis stars but also by the White House in the United States.
[Photo by Serena Williams Twitter capture]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai has gone missing after exposing sexual assault, sparking renewed fears of disappearances in Chinese society.

Earlier, Peng Shuai revealed on Weibo (China's version of Twitter) on the 2nd that she had been sexually assaulted by Zhang Gaoli, former Vice Premier of the State Council of China. However, contact with Peng Shuai was lost afterward, and her Weibo account disappeared, raising growing concerns about her safety.

On the 19th (local time), Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary, stated in a briefing, "The United States believes any sexual assault allegations must be investigated, and women's right to speak must be respected," adding, "We condemn China's zero-tolerance policy toward criticism and its history of silencing critics."

Also, Steve Simon, Chairman of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), said in an interview with CNN that day, "If Peng Shuai's sexual assault allegations are not properly investigated, we will withdraw from doing business in China, even if it means incurring losses worth hundreds of millions of dollars."

Simon added, "Peng Shuai's safety is clearly more important than business," emphasizing, "Women's claims must be respected and should not be censored."

The previous day, Chinese media released an email purportedly written by Peng Shuai herself, stating that "the sexual assault allegations are not true, and she is safe and well." However, controversy over the authenticity of the email has only intensified the suspicions.

World-renowned tennis stars have also expressed concern over Peng Shuai's disappearance. Recently, top-ranked male tennis player Novak Djokovic (Serbia), Serena Williams (USA), Naomi Osaka (Japan), and other global tennis stars have voiced worries about Peng Shuai's whereabouts, making this issue a major topic in the tennis world.

In 2018, Chinese actress Fan Bingbing disappeared from the public eye for a while amid allegations of evading taxes on a large appearance fee, reappearing after 107 days.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, there have been multiple cases in China where people from various sectors, including human rights activists, tycoons, celebrities, and officials, have suddenly disappeared.

In October last year, Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, went missing for three months after criticizing the Chinese authorities for their overly conservative regulatory policies. The reason for his three-month disappearance remains a mystery.

In 2018, Chinese actress Fan Bingbing disappeared for a while, sparking rumors that she had secretly fled to the United States, died, or was detained.

Just before her disappearance, Fan Bingbing was under suspicion of evading taxes on a large amount of appearance fees.

She reappeared 107 days after her disappearance, reflecting, "Until now, I did not understand the relationship between the interests of the state, society, and myself," and announced her return, pledging loyalty to the country.

A diplomat who worked in Beijing said, "In China, regardless of whether one is an official, entrepreneur, or celebrity, anyone can be taken by the authorities and disappear for months," adding, "This can be seen as a means of 'rule by fear' to maintain the Chinese Communist Party's control."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.