China has dismissed concerns about Peng Shuai’s safety as “maliciously hyped up” and accused critics of trying to politicize the situation. The country’s foreign ministry pointed to Peng’s recent video call with Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as evidence that she is alive and well. This comes amidst a major diplomatic dispute over China’s handling of Peng’s allegations of sexual assault against Zhang Gaoli, a former vice premier.
Peng, a former Wimbledon doubles champion, disappeared from public view for nearly three weeks after posting a statement on the Chinese social media platform Weibo detailing her forced sexual encounters with Zhang. Responding to the issue, China’s foreign ministry stated that it was not a diplomatic matter and highlighted Peng’s public appearances and video call with Bach. Spokesman Zhao Lijian urged people to refrain from deliberately hyping up the situation or politicizing it.
The host country for the upcoming Winter Olympics, China, responded to accusations from Human Rights Watch (HRW) that the IOC was colluding with the state. HRW criticized the IOC for its 30-minute video call between Bach and Peng, which did not address her allegations against Zhang. Yaqiu Wang, HRW’s senior China researcher, claimed that the IOC’s actions undermined freedom of speech and showed a prioritization of its relationship with a human rights violator over the safety of Olympic athletes.
HRW also condemned the Chinese authorities for imposing a media and internet blackout on discussions related to Peng’s case, including censoring her surname and references to tennis. Lord Coe, on the other hand, dismissed the idea of boycotting the Beijing Winter Olympics in response to Peng’s situation, labeling it a “meaningless gesture.” He controversially drew a parallel with the Nazi-run 1936 Berlin Games, suggesting that sport can drive integration and change.
As pressure mounts on sports organizations and governments to take a stronger stance, there are calls to abandon “quiet diplomacy” methods and avoid sending senior figures to the Beijing Games, which are just over two months away.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
