Berlin – Peng Shuai’s smile freezes as questions about her welfare and the allegations against a top Chinese politician begin. Visibly nervous, the tennis player denies in the seemingly improvised video interview that she has made allegations of sexual assault. “I have to emphasize one point that is extremely important: I have never said or written that anyone sexually assaulted me. I have to admit that, ”says Peng Shuai. She feels misunderstood after her words. The women’s organization WTA remains deeply concerned.
The interview with the Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao from Singapore caused a sensation on Monday beyond the sports world. It is the first time since the controversy began a month and a half ago that Peng Shuai has spoken publicly and directly in front of the camera. The former world number one in doubles had published a post on the Weibo social network at the beginning of November, which was understood as an allegation of sexual assault by the former politburo member, ex-vice prime minister Zhang Gaoli, 75. The post was deleted soon after. The state censorship had also blocked any debate on the Chinese Internet about it.
Peng Shuai speaks of misunderstandings
The video interview took place on Sunday on the sidelines of a cross-country skiing event in Shanghai, where she was accompanied by Chinese basketball star Yao Ming, among others. It was recorded with a cell phone, so it’s a bit shaky. The 35-year-old did not understand all the questions, had to ask several questions and collect herself. In the interview, Peng Shuai described her Weibo post as a “private matter”. “Many misunderstandings” may have occurred among readers, said the tennis star.
In response to the post, athletes, politicians and human rights activists from around the world expressed their concern for the tennis player’s well-being. Because the signals from China about Peng Shuai’s fate weren’t enough, the WTA women’s tour suspended all tournaments in China and Hong Kong at the beginning of December, even though China is an important donor.
The WTA also expressed further concern on Monday: These appearances, such as in the video interview, would not alleviate the WTA’s concerns about Peng Shuai’s well-being and her ability to communicate without censorship and coercion, the organization said on request. “We stand firm in our demand for a full, fair and transparent investigation,” it said. It was good to see the 35-year-old again in a public setting.
Thomas Bach continues to rely on “quiet diplomacy”
The case also overshadows preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics in February. The German President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, came under pressure after speaking to the tennis star on video channels. He repeated in a “sports show” interview on Saturday that the IOC continued to rely on “quiet diplomacy” in their case.
In the interview, Peng Shuai emphasized that she lived unhindered in Beijing and was not under supervision: “Why should someone monitor me? I’ve always been free. ”She also wrote her email to WTA boss Steve Simon from mid-November of her own free will. In it she had emphasized that the reports about her, “including the allegation of sexual assault”, were not true and that she was fine. The letter, however, heightened the WTA’s concern.
When asked if she wanted to travel abroad, Peng Shuai pointed out that she no longer actively plays tennis and currently has no intention of leaving China because of the pandemic: “What should I do out there now?” did not go into the discussed allegations of sexual assault, she asked in detail whether Peng Shuai had also written her mail to the WTA himself. She also gave her ample opportunity to emphasize that she could move around freely.
The Lianhe Zaobao is the only Chinese-language newspaper from abroad that can also be sold in China – thus also meeting the requirements of state censorship. Unlike in the past few weeks, the censorship did not intervene in the video interview on the Internet. It was accessible from China. There were no discussions online. In response to indications from foreign journalists that the interview did not dispel the worries of the WTA, Foreign Office spokesman Zhao Lijian said: “This is not a diplomatic question.”