Chinese tennis star to appear in public soon: Global Times

BEIJING • Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai has been staying in her own home "freely" and will make a public appearance "soon", Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin, a prominent state media journalist, has said.

Ms Peng, a former doubles world No. 1, has not been seen or heard from publicly since she said on Chinese social media on Nov 2 that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli coerced her into having sex and they later had an on-off consensual relationship. Neither Mr Zhang nor the Chinese government has commented on her allegation.

Ms Peng's social media post was quickly deleted and the topic has been blocked from discussion on China's heavily censored Internet.

"In the past few days, she stayed in her own home freely and she didn't want to be disturbed. She will show up in public and participate in some activities soon," Mr Hu wrote on Twitter.

The Global Times is published by the People's Daily, the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party.

Mr Hu said he had confirmed through his sources that photographs shared on Twitter by a journalist working for the Chinese state media, purportedly showing Ms Peng at home, depicted her "current state".

The Twitter account @shen_shiwei, labelled "Chinese state-affiliated media" by the social network, posted four undated images of her late on Friday.

In a tweet, @shen_shiwei said the pictures, which could not be independently verified by Reuters or Agence France-Presse, were shared on Ms Peng's WeChat Moments, a function often restricted to friends, to wish her followers a "good weekend".

One photo shows the smiling player with a cat in her arms, with stuffed animals, a trophy, a Chinese flag and certificates visible in the background.

Another shot shows a selfie of Ms Peng with a toy from the children's animation Kung Fu Panda, with an image of Winnie The Pooh in the background.

The children's character is often censored online in China as critics say Chinese leader Xi Jinping resembles it.

Twitter is blocked in China and only people with a VPN-type workaround can access it. But many Chinese diplomats and official state media outlets have accounts to defend China's point of view.

Amid growing concern about Ms Peng's whereabouts, the Women's Tennis Association has threatened to pull tournaments out of China and the men's ATP has demanded clarity from the Chinese authorities.

The United States and United Nations on Friday demanded proof of Ms Peng's whereabouts and well-being.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said US President Joe Biden's administration wanted China to "provide independent, verifiable proof" of Ms Peng's whereabouts and expressed "deep concern" about the player. The UN insisted on a fully transparent investigation into the claims she made.

Ms Peng represented China in the Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro Olympics and won gold for China at the 2010 Asian Games.

She is a former Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE