WTA dismisses footage posted by state media, as France calls on China to let tennis star speak publicly
Video footage and photos of the tennis star Peng Shuai posted by China’s state media have done little to ease international demands for assurances that she is free and not under threat.
Peng, 35, had not been seen or heard from in more than two weeks since she accused the country’s former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli of sexually assaulting her. The allegations, which she made on the Chinese social media site Weibo, were quickly deleted from the platform. Her silence, as well as blanket censorship inside China of her accusations, have prompted calls across the world for information on her whereabouts and wellbeing, including threats by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) to pull all its tennis tournaments that are scheduled to be held in China.