China is trying to shut down tennis star Peng Shuai’s #MeToo claim. It does not work

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China’s Peng Shuai in action against Russia’s Daria Kasatkina in the 2019 Women’s Singles First Round match at the China Open on September 28, 2019 in Beijing, China. Credit – Fred Lee / Getty Images

When Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai made public a sexual assault charge against a retired senior official, China’s response was to censor all discussion of the allegation internally and dismiss the international concern. growing concern about Peng’s fate and safety.

But China’s attempt to suppress Peng’s #MeToo allegation – most recently by posting an email purportedly from Peng that says she is safe and denies the original sexual assault charge – has failed. only intensifies international scrutiny.

The Women’s Tennis Association, which catapulted Peng’s story into international spotlight, has stepped up demands for an explanation of China and proof that it is safe. WTA CEO and Chairman Steve Simon told CNN on Thursday that the organization was “ready to do our business and face all the complications that come with it.” Simon had previously touted China’s $ 1 billion investment in women’s tennis.

The biggest names in the sport, Serena Williams, Billie Jean King, Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka, also backed Peng.

Peng’s claim is believed to be the first of its kind directed against a senior Chinese government official. The controversy shines a light on China’s #MeToo movement and the treatment of speaking sports stars, just months before the country opens the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Here’s what you need to know about Peng Shai and his accusations.

Who is Peng Shuai?

Originally from the mountainous province of Hunan, Peng, 35, is the first Chinese tennis player to peak after becoming the world’s No. 1 in doubles in 2014.

She has won 23 doubles tennis titles at the circuit level. These include Wimbledon in 2013 and Roland Garros in 2014, both with Taiwanese player Hsieh Su-wei.

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Peng has also represented China three times at the Olympics, most recently in 2016.

What is Peng alleging?

Former Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli delivers a speech during the Philippines-China Trade and Investment Forum at the Great Hall of the People on October 20, 2016 in Beijing, China.Wu Hong-Pool / Getty Images

A Nov. 2 article on Peng’s Weibo account – China’s Twitter-like platform – said that retired Deputy Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli – who was once a member of the powerful Politburo Standing Committee, the highest China’s decision-making body – coerced Peng into having sex with him. The post said she later had an intermittent relationship with the Chinese official.

The message disappeared about 30 minutes after it was posted. However, screenshots were shared widely on social media platforms outside of China, as well as private WeChat and iMessage groups in the country, according to Reuters.

The message stated that Peng’s relationship with Zhang dates back to 2011. But about three years ago, Zhang and his wife invited Peng to dinner and he pressured her to have sex.

After that, their relationship restarted, but Peng reportedly got angry at Zhang’s insistence on keeping their relationship a secret and tried to meet with him to share his grievances with him before posting on Weibo, according to the post.

Read more: How #MeToo takes on its own life in Asia

Peng said she could not provide any evidence to support her claims. TIME could not independently verify the message or its content.

Has Peng disappeared? Is she safe?

After posting the message, Peng made no further public statements and was not seen publicly, raising concerns for his safety in a country that quickly silenced even the most famous and most popular public figures. powerful, including Alibaba founder Jack Ma.

On November 18, public broadcaster CGTN posted a screenshot of a statement that was allegedly an email from Peng to Simon. Peng’s message said she was safe and added that she had just “stayed home.” The post also stated that the sexual assault allegations attributed to him were false.

But that did not allay concerns about his safety. Simon, in a statement, said he “found it hard” to believe Peng wrote the email.

“Peng Shuai showed incredible courage in describing an allegation of sexual assault against a former senior Chinese government official,” Simon replied. “The WTA and the rest of the world need independent, verifiable proof that they are safe.”

Simon told TIME earlier that he had not personally spoken to Peng and that he was concerned about his fate.

In his CNN interview on Thursday, Simon added that he believed the email was a “staged statement” since he responded immediately afterwards without receiving a proper response. “At this point, I don’t think it’s valid and we won’t be comfortable until we have a chance to speak with her,” he said.

How do the Chinese authorities deal with complaints?

The state-controlled media have largely been silent on Peng’s allegation, and officials have made efforts to quickly censor any conversation about his post. Searching for Peng’s account on Weibo has been blocked and comments on his account have been suspended.

When a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry was asked about the athlete’s allegations on November 3, he said he was not aware of the issue. TIME has contacted the Information Office of the State Council of China for comment.

A public allegation against a senior official of such magnitude is virtually unknown, but other Chinese women have reported sexual violence by low-ranking party officials, said Leta Hong Fincher, author of Betraying Big Brother: The Feminist Awakening in China.

“Everyone is familiar with this kind of culture,” says Fincher. “But this is the first time that we actually have a specific charge against a senior retired Communist Party official. Nevertheless, he is retired, but he was Deputy Prime Minister. And it is very difficult to go higher than that other than the President of China himself.

The rapid censorship of Peng’s case contrasts with how China has handled other important #MeToo cases this year. When Chinese beauty influencer Du Meizhu accused Chinese-Canadian pop idol Kris Wu of raping her and other women, including underage girls, it became a hot topic on Weibo, state media even berating the idol.

Wu’s response was in line with a crackdown on celebrity culture, which observers say is an attempt to keep young supporters of communist ideology.

Read more: China’s tech crackdown could make US regulation more likely

How is the global tennis community reacting?

The WTA called on the Chinese government to seriously examine the allegations against Zhang. The governing body of men’s tennis (ATP) supported the investigation.

The WTA chairman praised Peng for making the allegations “knowing full well” what the results will be. “So that we don’t support this and demand justice as we go through this, you know we have to start, as a world, to make decisions based on good and bad,” he said. Simon told CNN.

Other tennis stars have expressed concern over Peng’s absence, including former world No.1 players Serena Williams, Chris Evert and Billie Jean King. Novak Djokovic, the current men’s world number 1, called Peng’s case “shocking”. Naomi Osaka spoke out against Peng’s censorship and said she hopes the Chinese player and his family are safe.

Read more: Steve Simon, CEO of WTA, on his fight to find Peng Shuai

What does this mean for the future of Chinese tennis?

Tennis is a big problem in China: more than a fifth of the 87 million tennis players in the world come from the country, according to the International Tennis Federation.

It’s unclear how the Chinese calls to action in Peng’s case will affect tennis in the country. But China has repeatedly fought back against criticism, most notably in 2019 when NBA broadcasts were cut off on Chinese television after then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey posted a tweet expressing his solidarity with pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.

Read more: Why China has the NBA in a full press on free speech

The risk could be a 10-year contract to host the women’s season finals in Shenzhen, which are set to resume in 2022 as the COVID-19 pandemic wears off. The Chinese organizers behind the deal had invested $ 1 billion as part of the deal.

But the WTA president said he was more concerned about Peng’s welfare and the integrity of the sport. “We’re at a crossroads with our relationship, obviously, with China and our activities there,” he told CNN. “It’s something very sad actually because we have an amazing relationship there and have developed some amazing programs that really introduce the sport to a lot of young Chinese players who want to be the next Li Na or the next Peng Shuai. . “

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