This archive report was first published on 18 November 2021.
On November 18, 2021, the chairman of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), Steve Simon, expressed concerns over the safety and wellbeing of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, following the posting of an email purportedly from her on state-run media.
The email, which was published by CGTN on Twitter, claimed that Peng's earlier allegations of sexual abuse against former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli were 'not true' and that she was 'resting at home and everything is fine.'
However, Simon questioned the authenticity of the email, stating that he had a 'hard time believing' that Peng actually wrote it or believes what is being attributed to her.
Simon's concerns were echoed by William Nee of the advocacy group Chinese Human Rights Defenders, who noted that the Chinese government has a history of arbitrarily detaining people involved in controversial cases and controlling their ability to speak freely.
As the situation continues to unfold, the WTA has called for 'independent and verifiable proof that Peng Shuai is safe.'
