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A journalist who interviewed Chinese language tennis star Peng Shuai has mentioned, regardless of her assurances on the contrary, he is not satisfied she is free to say and do what she desires.
Marc Ventouillac and a colleague from French sports activities each day L’Equipe spoke to the participant this week in a restrictive interview organized with Chinese language Olympic officers.
The sportswoman, 36, reiterated earlier remarks that the allegations she made final yr of sexual assault towards a high-ranking official have been a “misunderstanding”.
Talking in English, Mr Ventouillac mentioned he could not make sure it wasn’t an act, including: “It is unimaginable to say. This interview do not [sic] give proof that there isn’t any downside with Peng Shuai.”
He steered China, which is internet hosting the Winter Olympics, merely needed to bury the affair, so it does not pollute the occasion.
“It is part of communication, propaganda, from the Chinese language Olympic Committee,” Ventouillac mentioned on Tuesday, the day after L’Equipe printed its unique interview.
By arranging for an enormous European newspaper to interview her, he mentioned, they’ll present, “‘OK, there isn’t any downside with Peng Shuai. See? Journalists [came], they’ll ask all of the questions they needed.'”
Peng, a three-time Olympian and former top-ranked doubles participant, has been a lot in proof within the Chinese language capital, whether or not having dinner with Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach or watching occasions.
On Tuesday the pair took in American-born Chinese language freestyle skier Eileen Gu’s gold within the girls’s large air competitors.
Her present visibility is in stark distinction to her disappearance after a prolonged Weibo submit in November wherein she accused Zhang Gaoli, a former vice premier and member of the ruling Chinese language Communist Social gathering’s omnipotent Politburo Standing Committee, of forcing her to have intercourse regardless of repeated refusals.
She has since withdrawn the allegations, prompting many to consider she had been pressured to take action.
Mr Ventouillac mentioned it is all about optics. He mentioned: “It is essential, I believe, for the Chinese language Olympic Committee, for the Communist Social gathering and for many individuals in China to attempt to present: ‘No, there isn’t any Peng Shuai affair.'”
The Girls’s Tennis Affiliation (WTA), which dropped tournaments in China following the allegations from Peng, mentioned the interview “doesn’t alleviate any of our issues”.
Steve Simon, the WTA’s chief govt, mentioned in an announcement: “As we’d do with any of our gamers globally, we now have known as for a proper investigation into the allegations by the suitable authorities and a possibility for the WTA to fulfill with Peng – privately – to debate her state of affairs.”
The journalist mentioned the interview, for which they submitted questions prematurely, was scheduled to final half-hour, however went on almost twice as lengthy.
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