China’s PR offensive to assure the world a tennis star who accused a top official of rape is alive and well is not quelling the world’s demands for proof that Peng Shuai is alive.
A social media post from Peng dated Nov. 2 accused former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of forcing her to have sex against her will three years ago, according to Fox News. Since then, Peng has not been seen or heard from, and her social media account is blocked.
The furor over Peng has been such that China has released several videos showing the tennis star. One issued Sunday claimed she was shown at a youth tennis tournament.
In the newly released video, Peng Shuai, a former Wimbledon doubles champion, is shown at the opening ceremony of a teenager tennis match final in Beijing on Sunday morning.
Read more: https://t.co/4ZiUf0DOpF pic.twitter.com/IZgX5LcmRx
— Sky News (@SkyNews) November 21, 2021
However, those advocating for Peng said state-issued videos are not enough.
“I am glad to see the videos released by China state-run media that appear to show Peng Shuai at a restaurant in Beijing. While it is positive to see her, it remains unclear if she is free and able to make decisions and take actions on her own, without coercion or external interference. This video alone is insufficient,” said Women’s Tennis Association Chairman and CEO Steve Simon in a statement.
“As I have stated from the beginning, I remain concerned about Peng Shuai’s health and safety and that the allegation of sexual assault is being censored and swept under the rug. I have been clear about what needs to happen, and our relationship with China is at a crossroads,” he continued.
“What we would say is that it would be important to have proof of her whereabouts and wellbeing, and we would urge that there be an investigation with full transparency into her allegations of sexual assault,” said Liz Throssell, a spokeswoman for the UN Human Rights office, according to CNN.
“According to available information, the former world doubles No. 1 hasn’t been heard from publicly since she alleged on social media that she was sexually assaulted. We would stress that it is important to know where she is and know her state, know about her wellbeing,” she said.
I acquired two video clips, which show Peng Shuai was having dinner with her coach and friends in a restaurant. The video content clearly shows they are shot on Saturday Beijing time. pic.twitter.com/HxuwB5TfBk
— Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) November 20, 2021
The dialog in one video issued Saturday has raised some eyebrows, according to Fox.
“Tomorrow, isn’t tomorrow November 20?” Peng’s coach says.
A woman in the video says “21st,” before the coach says, “November 21st.” They do this again with the woman saying, “Tomorrow is the 21st,” and the coach agreeeing, “November 21st.”
Gordon Chang, author of “The Coming Collapse of China,” verified the dialogue for Fox while noting how odd it was.
“You would say ‘tomorrow, the 20th,’ or ‘tomorrow, Saturday,’ but they go out of their way to use the full date,” Chang said.
He noted that it would also be odd to record such a random conversation and that the quality of the video makes it hard to know when it was made.
This is the second clip. pic.twitter.com/BWzdBkIJ94
— Hu Xijin 胡锡进 (@HuXijin_GT) November 20, 2021
A second video issued Saturday shows Peng walking through the restaurant’s door, with the date China wants everyone to see very clear — but the actual day smudged out.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
