Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Peng Shuai: Chinese tennis star who disappeared after making sex assault claim denies she made accusation

Peng Shuai: Chinese tennis star who disappeared after making sex assault claim denies she made accusation

Last month, Peng Shuai accused Zhang Gaoli, a former vice premier in China, of sexually assaulting her in the past - before disappearing from public view for nearly three weeks.

The Chinese tennis star who sparked global concern when she appeared to suddenly go missing after accusing a government official of sexual assault has appeared in an online video denying she ever made the claim.

Last month, Peng Shuai accused Zhang Gaoli, a former vice premier in China, of assaulting her in the past - before disappearing from public view for nearly three weeks.

She has now said that she never actually accused anyone of assaulting her, claiming that a post she made on social media in November has been misunderstood.



In a video posted by Singapore media outlet Lianhe Zaobao on Sunday, she said: "First, I need to stress one point that is extremely important, I have never said or written that anyone has sexually assaulted me, I have to clearly stress this point."

Her comments from a skiing event in Shanghai are the first time she has addressed the alleged incident publicly on camera.

She added that the comments in question - which were posted to Weibo, before quickly being deleted - were a "private matter" and that "people have many misunderstandings" about it.

Peng Shuai at the Australian Open in January 2020


Peng, who has appeared in photos since her disappearance, albeit with questions around them, added that she has been living at her home in Beijing without any supervision.

The 35-year-old also said that she had written to the head of the Women's Tennis Association, Steve Simon, last month, denying the assault allegations.

Mr Simon said he had a "hard time believing" that Peng had actually written the email, or its contents.

Analysis by Thomas Cheshire, Asia correspondent


Whatever the circumstances of this video, Peng Shuai's answers give us some useful information.

First, the confirmation that she did write the Weibo post that started all of it – she said that it was her "private matter" and people had "many misunderstandings about it".

So we can take her account on Weibo at face value.

But, if the Weibo post is true, how to square that with her denial that she had said she was sexually assaulted?

Language is crucial here – in her Weibo post Peng never used the Chinese term for "sexual assault".

Instead, saying she was forced to have sex and a relationship with Zhang Gaoli, the high ranking official.

In the West that meets the accepted definition of sexual assault.

In China, it may not.

The biggest question now, though, is about Peng's freedom.

This was a video from a non-Chinese outlet but the event still looked tightly controlled.

Nor did Peng look comfortable answering those questions.

And the nature of China's system – and how it has handled the affair so far - means that any reassurance will be viewed with scepticism.

The WTA has suspended tournaments in China due to the questions surrounding Peng and her disappearance.

The International Olympic Committee has also held two video calls with the tennis player.

The case comes ahead of next year's Winter Olympics in Beijing, which has already seen a number of countries, including the UK, pledge diplomatic boycotts.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
×