Stop politicisation of Peng Shuai issue, Chinese official says
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BEIJING • China's foreign ministry yesterday said "certain people" should stop the "malicious hyping" and "politicisation" of the issue of tennis star Peng Shuai, as foreign governments and organisations continue to raise questions about her well-being.
The whereabouts of Ms Peng, a former doubles world No. 1, became a matter of international concern for nearly three weeks after she posted a message on social media alleging that China's former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli had sexually assaulted her.
She reappeared over the weekend in Beijing and held a video call with International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach on Sunday but the Women's Tennis Association has said this did not address or alleviate concerns about her well-being.
"This is not a diplomatic matter," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular press briefing yesterday.
"I believe everyone will have seen she has recently attended some public activities and also held a video call with IOC president Bach. I hope certain people will cease malicious hyping, let alone politicisation," Mr Zhao added.
Over the weekend, Chinese state media posted a series of videos and pictures of Ms Peng on Twitter. The images showed her smiling at home, eating out with friends, and at a tennis event in Beijing.
"Can any girl fake such sunny smile under pressure?" Mr Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Communist Party-owned tabloid Global Times, wrote on Twitter.
His China-facing Weibo account made no reference to Ms Peng, and his newspaper did not report her re-emergence.
On Nov 2, Ms Peng posted on Chinese social media that Mr Zhang had coerced her into sex and they later had an on-off consensual relationship. The post was deleted soon after.
Neither Mr Zhang nor the Chinese government has commented on Ms Peng's allegations. The topic has been blocked from direct discussion on China's heavily censored internet.
The United States, France, Britain and tennis players including Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams and Billie Jean King have all expressed concerns over the safety of Ms Peng, a former Olympian.
REUTERS, BLOOMBERG
