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A rising variety of athletes and politicians have raised questions on Chinese language tennis champion Peng Shuai, who hasn’t been seen since she accused a senior Communist Social gathering chief of sexual assault, amid diplomatic stress on Beijing’s Winter Olympics.
Peng’s scenario additionally places the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) in an uncomfortable spot, as Beijing faces worldwide consideration on its upcoming Winter Video games in February 2022. U.S. President Joe Biden is underneath stress from the U.S. Congress to diplomatically boycott the occasion over human rights considerations.
5 British MPs who’ve beforehand been sanctioned by Beijing wrote to U.Okay. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday with the identical plea. “It’s probably that neither the President nor different U.S. authorities officers will journey to China … It’s vital that we sustain the momentum and comply with swimsuit within the U.Okay.,” they wrote.
Tim Loughton, a veteran Conservative MP and one of many letter’s co-authors, instructed POLITICO it might be “unthinkable” to ship athletes and diplomats to China within the wake of Peng’s obvious disappearance.
German MEP Engin Eroglu from the Renew Europe group additionally hit out at Beijing, all of the whereas criticizing different European establishments for “radio silence” on the problem.
“In its self-proclaimed position as an ethical lighthouse, the EU has to step up its recreation and take the lead in urging authorities officers to make the fitting alternative and never attend the Video games in Beijing subsequent yr,” stated Eroglu.
The IOC stated it had no additional remark at this stage, however earlier this week instructed the I that it had “seen the newest stories and are inspired by assurances that she is protected.”
Worldwide outcry took a dramatic flip Wednesday when Chinese language state media tweeted a screenshot exhibiting an electronic mail purportedly despatched by the 35-year-old Peng to Ladies’s Tennis Affiliation CEO Steve Simon, saying she was not lacking and “all the things is okay.”
Simon shot again on the information story. “I’ve a tough time believing that Peng Shuai really wrote the e-mail we acquired or believes what’s being attributed to her,” Simon stated. “I’ve repeatedly tried to succeed in her through quite a few types of communications, to no avail.”
Loughton, the U.Okay. MP, additionally ridiculed the e-mail story. “The clearly pretend electronic mail in her title from Chinese language state media is an insult to our intelligence,” he stated. “[Chinese President] Xi Jinping’s regime couldn’t sink any decrease. Our authorities should demand to know the whereabouts of this brave girl.”
Peng, a former top-ranked doubles participant and Grand Slam champion, described in a social media put up earlier this month what she stated had been repeated sexual assaults by former Politburo standing committee member Zhang Gaoli, who was one of many highest-ranking members within the Communist Social gathering earlier than his retirement in 2018. Within the put up, deleted simply half an hour after it was revealed, Peng stated she had no proof to show her allegations.
A refrain of tennis stars demanded extra details about Peng’s whereabouts.
“Actually, it’s surprising that she’s lacking, extra in order that it’s somebody that I’ve seen on the tour within the earlier years fairly just a few occasions,” stated Novak Djokovic, the lads’s top-ranked participant. “It’s not rather more to say than I hope that she shall be discovered, that she’s OK. It’s simply horrible. I can think about simply how her household feels that she’s lacking.”
Japanese Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka added in a tweet, “Censorship is rarely okay at any value. I hope Peng Shuai and her household are protected and okay.”
Ali Walker contributed reporting.
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