Chinese Peng Shuai video calls IOC President: "I am safe and well"...Dismisses disappearance rumors

"Emphasizing 'Living Well at Home in Beijing'"
Spread of Movement to Boycott China Winter Olympics

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Tennis star Peng Shuai, who was recently rumored to be missing in China, is reported to have confirmed her safety through a video call with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) President. The controversy over her safety raised by the United States and the international community is expected to be settled for the time being. However, as issues such as the Me Too allegations involving a former high-ranking Chinese Communist Party official and various human rights concerns in China come to light, the boycott debate over the Beijing Winter Olympics is expected to intensify.

On the 21st (local time), the IOC announced in a statement that IOC President Thomas Bach held a 30-minute video call with Peng Shuai that day. According to the statement, Peng Shuai said, "I am currently safe and well at my home in Beijing, and I want my privacy to be respected," and emphasized, "I want to spend time with my friends and family now, and I will continue playing tennis, the sport I love very much."

Emma Terho, an IOC athlete representative who was present during the call, said at a press conference after the video call, "I am relieved to confirm that Peng Shuai is doing well. She appeared relaxed," and added, "She told me that I can contact her anytime when she feels comfortable." According to the IOC, at the end of the video call, President Bach invited Peng Shuai to dinner after he arrives in Beijing in January next year, and Peng Shuai accepted the invitation.

Peng Shuai is a player who once held the world No. 1 ranking in doubles on the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour in 2014. On the 2nd, she posted a Me Too allegation on Weibo accusing former Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of sexually assaulting her, and after being missing for 19 days, rumors of her disappearance circulated.

Following this, as demands for disclosure of her whereabouts surged from the WTA, tennis stars, and the international community, Chinese state media first released her photos, emails, and videos, and then reportedly made public the video call with the IOC President. WTA Chairman Steve Simon previously raised doubts about the evidence presented by state media, telling CNN in an interview on the 18th that "there is a possibility that it is fake."

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