One of China’s most seasoned tennis stars, Peng Shuai,  disappeared from the public eye in early November over allegations of sexual harassment of a senior retired CCP official. The international tennis community, including some of the world’s most famous sports stars and their governing bodies, has publicly questioned her whereabouts and has prosecuted Chinese authorities.

China faces pressure to prove the whereabouts of tennis star Peng Shuai went missing after the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) president threatened to cancel the tournament in China, and the United Nations demanded proof that she was okay.

Shuai, 35, has not appeared in public since she posted on Chinese social media  Weibo that former vice-premier Minister Zhang Gaoli had sexually assaulted her.

Shuai, a former women’s doubles athlete, and three-time Olympic champion, alleges she was “forced” to have sex with Zhang between 2013 and 2018. On November 2, the post was removed from her verified Weibo account, and the country’s state media blocked all reports of the incident. Steve Simon, chairman of WTA, said Friday that the WTA is ready to withdraw WTA from China, which will cost it hundreds of millions of dollars.

 “We are ready to close the business and deal with any complications that come with it,” Simon said. “Because, of course, it’s more than a business.” 

“We continue to demand independent, verifiable evidence that Peng Shuai is safe and that her sexual assault allegations will be investigated comprehensively, fairly, and without censorship. Otherwise, the WTA is ready to do the right thing.”

Peng Shuai of China plays as Hibino Nao of Japan during the Australian Open Women’s Singles Round 1 match in Melbourne, Australia, on January 21, 2020. 

The United Nations reported on Friday that it needed evidence of the whereabouts of Chinese tennis star Feng Shuai, who went missing after accusing the former deputy prime minister of sexual assault. The United Nations Office for Human Rights has called for a completely transparent investigation into the allegations of the former Grand Slam doubles champion against Zhang Gauri.

Michelle Bachelet, spokeswoman for the UN Secretary-General’s Office for Human Rights, Liz Trossell, said: “It will be important to have evidence of her whereabouts and well-being. do,” he said a journalists in Geneva.

China was at the center of the most aggressive WTA expansion in a decade and hosted nine tournaments for the 2019 season for a total prize pool of $30.4 million. The prize pool for the 2019 WTA Final was $14 million when first held in Shenzhen.

The  final was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and moved  to Guadalajara, Mexico, this year, but the WTA said it would be held again in Shenzhen in 2022-2030.

Earlier this week, Simon issued a statement questioning an email released by Chinese state broadcaster CGTN, which Shuai wrote he claims. The letter was written in her voice, and  she was not lost or injured: “I just rested at home, and everything is fine.”

“The statement released by the Chinese state media today… concerns only her safety and whereabouts. It’s hard to believe that Peng Shuai wrote the letter we received or that it is believed to be hers,” he said on Friday.

“The WTA and the rest of the world need independent, verifiable evidence that they are safe. “I tried to contact her several times through various forms of contact, but to no avail.”

UN Human Rights Representative Liz Throssell also urged China to prove  Peng was okay and investigate her allegations.

 “We will be critical of obtaining evidence of her whereabouts and well-being and will urge a fully transparent investigation  into her allegations of sexual assault.” – Liz Throssell, UN Human Rights Representative. The Human Rights Office told CNN reporters in Geneva on Friday.

As China prepared to host the Beijing Winter Olympics in February, a problem arose even with the demands of world human rights organizations to boycott human rights records. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) declined to comment on Penn’s question, saying it believed “quiet diplomacy” was the best chance for a solution. Since the approval, concerns have grown over Peng’s safety and whereabouts, both within and outside the global tennis community. 

Chinese authorities have not acknowledged the missing player and are currently silent.

 In an interview with reporters on Thursday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson did not provide details about the situation in question.

 “This is not a diplomatic matter,” said Zhao Lijian. “And I’m not aware of the relevant circumstances you mentioned.”

 Chinese Central Government Response:

China’s central government has not even acknowledged concerns about Peng. On Friday, a foreign ministry spokesman followed a line in Beijing that his department was at least not aware of. Argument.

Zhao Lijian told reporters, “It’s not a diplomatic matter, and we don’t know the situation.”

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said its experience had taught the organization that “quiet diplomacy is the best opportunity to find solutions to these problems,” despite the growing backlash from sports stars and others worldwide.

Why are people disappearing from China?

China claims to be a “rule of law” country, but ultimately the Communist Party comes to power, and there is a large gray area of ​​coercion. By controlling the press and social media, authorities can contain all information about the disappearance and have criticism. This news is often covert and comes gradually through foreign sources.

Celebrities in the entertainment industry can lose their careers due to disputes with  Chinese authorities. For business leaders, this can mean loss of position, market access, and imprisonment. For political dissidents, this often means disappearing into vast and secure states with no access to family or legal protections. Even before the

Communist Party came to power in 1949; it went through several bitter struggles, including liquidating its losers without due process.

The Cultural Revolution of 196676 left politicians, educators, and musicians imprisoned for years, often in solitary confinement.

 Today, the Party’s Central  Discipline Inspection Committee handles most of the serious charges against high-ranking officials. Senior officials may remain invisible for months until a brief announcement is made that they are being investigated for “significant violations of rules and regulations.”.” The harsh sentence is announced later, and there are little or no details of the charges or evidence against it.

 US Response for disappearance of Peng Shuai:

 US Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai goes missing after being charged with sexual assault against a high-ranking Chinese Communist Party official. Is “deeply concerned,” the White House said Friday.

 Spokesperson Jen Psaki said President Joe Biden’s administration wants China to “provide independent, verifiable evidence” of her whereabouts.

 The call came to the United States as international concern over the missing tennis star grew. She alleged earlier this month that a former Chinese deputy prime minister had sexually exploited her.

 Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, and Naomi Osaka also expressed concern about one of China’s best players.

edited and proofread by nikita sharma