"China, Prove Peng Shuai's Safety"…International Community Increases Pressure Level

UN, Following the US, UK Government Also Pressures China

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] International pressure is mounting to confirm the whereabouts and safety of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, amid rumors of her disappearance.

On the 20th (local time), according to the British daily The Guardian, the UK Foreign Office issued a statement urging the Chinese government to provide evidence proving Peng Shuai's location and safety.

The UK Foreign Office said, "Chinese authorities must urgently provide evidence that proves his (Peng Shuai's) safety and current whereabouts." It added, "Everyone should be allowed to speak publicly without fear of (negative) repercussions. Reports of sexual assault anywhere in the world must be investigated."

The Guardian also noted that, separate from the government, the British Olympic Association (BOA) demanded urgent confirmation of Peng Shuai's safety from China on the same day.

Peng Shuai, who reached world No. 1 in doubles on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour in 2014, posted on her Weibo account on the 2nd of this month that former Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli sexually assaulted her in 2018 and forced her into an inappropriate relationship for years. The post was deleted within about 20 minutes, and Peng Shuai's whereabouts have since been unknown.

As suspicions arose that she might have been effectively detained for exposing the misconduct of a powerful politician, the international community has united in pressuring Chinese authorities to prove Peng Shuai's location and safety.

Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the United Nations Human Rights Office, called for a transparent investigation into Peng Shuai's sexual assault allegations during a press briefing on the 19th. White House spokesperson Jen Psaki also expressed deep concern over reports that Peng Shuai appears to be missing and stated that the Chinese government must provide verifiable evidence proving her safety.

Novak Djokovic (Serbia), Naomi Osaka (Japan), Serena Williams (USA), Roger Federer (Switzerland), and Rafael Nadal (Spain) have all expressed their wishes for Peng Shuai's safety through media interviews and other channels.

Chinese state media have flooded reports claiming that Peng Shuai's sexual assault allegations are untrue or that she is living her daily life. On the 18th, CGTN reported obtaining an email Peng Shuai sent to the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), stating, "The sexual assault allegations are not true, and I am not missing." Hu Xijin, editor of the Chinese Global Times, posted a video on Twitter on the 21st showing Peng Shuai appearing at a youth tennis event held in Beijing.

However, as controversies over the authenticity of these reports have arisen, suspicions have only deepened. The WTA stated on the 21st that the video of Peng Shuai released publicly is "insufficient" to dispel WTA's concerns about her safety. Previously, the WTA announced that if this issue is not resolved, it would cancel all WTA events scheduled to be held in China.

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