{"id":1043264,"date":"2021-11-22T09:13:41","date_gmt":"2021-11-22T14:13:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1043264"},"modified":"2021-11-22T09:13:44","modified_gmt":"2021-11-22T14:13:44","slug":"olympics-organizers-defend-china-with-undated-image-of-missing-tennis-star-peng-shuai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/olympics-organizers-defend-china-with-undated-image-of-missing-tennis-star-peng-shuai\/","title":{"rendered":"Olympics Organizers Defend China with Undated Image of Missing Tennis Star Peng Shuai"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Folympics-organizers-defend-china-with-undated-image-of-missing-tennis-star-peng-shuai%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1043264&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/1217Peng-Shuai-ioc-640x335-1.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p class=\"subheading\">The Chinese Communist Party flooded social media this weekend with images of Peng Shuai, a tennis champion who disappeared after accusing a senior communist of raping her, insisting she was neither missing nor in danger.<\/p>\n<p>The International Olympic Committee (IOC), one of the world\u2019s top enablers of human rights abuses in China, also published a photo allegedly showing its president, Thomas Bach, speaking to Peng on a video call. The screen showing Peng appeared blurred in the photo and the image offered no indication of when it was taken.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<p>China is hosting the Winter Olympics next year despite global outrage at granting that honor to a nation that, in addition to apparently disappearing top athletes when politically expedient, is currently engaging in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2021\/08\/28\/exclusive-uyghur-group-olympics-will-encourage-china-to-conduct-more-genocide\/\">genocide<\/a>, among other human rights atrocities.<\/p>\n<p>The Chinese government propaganda newspaper&nbsp;<em>Global Times<\/em>\u2018 editor, Hu Xijin, published undated videos on Saturday that allegedly showed Peng at a teen tennis tournament in Beijing and dining at a restaurant.<\/p>\n<p>The images surfaced after the Women\u2019s Tennis Association (WTA) threatened to withdraw all of its business from China in response to Peng\u2019s disappearance. The Chinese government broadcaster CGTN <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2021\/11\/17\/china-publishes-bizarre-email-tennis-player-missing-since-accusing-official-rape\/\">published<\/a> an \u201cemail\u201d last week that it claimed Peng sent to WTA head Steve Simon in which she insisted she was healthy and safe and urged the public not to worry about her wellbeing. Simon publicly challenged the authenticity of the email before the new video and photos surfaced.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>Peng has notably not addressed the accusations against former Chinese&nbsp;Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, 40 years her senior. In a now-deleted post on Weibo, the most popular Chinese regime-controlled social media outlet, Peng accused Zhang of raping her and admitted to a years-long affair with the official. The post disappeared rapidly from the site, as did her account. Peng mysteriously returned to another Chinese regime-controlled social media site, WeChat, this weekend with images that appeared to show her lounging peacefully at home.<\/p>\n<p>The IOC claimed in an official statement that President Bach and several other senior Olympics officials held a conversation with Peng on Sunday. The image published alongside this claim shows Peng on a video screen sitting in front of a large collection of stuffed animals that also appeared in the photos posted to her Weibo account. The image of the video is blurred such that any date or time on the screen is not legible.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"13.26\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Today, IOC President Thomas Bach, the Chair of the IOC Athletes&#8217; Commission, Emma Terho, and IOC Member in China, Li Lingwei, held a video call with three-time Olympian Peng Shuai from China.<\/p>\n<p>Read here: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qUmvaEtIHH\">https:\/\/t.co\/qUmvaEtIHH<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UoxtCeHS20\">pic.twitter.com\/UoxtCeHS20<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Athlete365 (@Athlete365) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Athlete365\/status\/1462464228741328896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 21, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cAt the beginning of the 30-minute call, Peng Shuai thanked the IOC for its concern about her well-being. She explained that she is safe and well, living at her home in Beijing, but would like to have her privacy respected at this time,\u201d the IOC <a href=\"https:\/\/olympics.com\/athlete365\/voice\/ioc-president-and-ioc-athletes-commission-chair-hold-video-call-with-peng-shuai\/\">claimed<\/a>. \u201cThat is why she prefers to spend her time with friends and family right now. Nevertheless, she will continue to be involved in tennis, the sport she loves so much.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Emma Terho, the chair of the IOC Athletes\u2019 Commission, issued a statement claiming Peng was \u201crelaxed\u201d and \u201cdoing fine\u201d and that Terho was personally \u201crelieved\u201d to interact with her.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>Bach reportedly invited Peng to dinner upon his arrival to Beijing.<\/p>\n<p>Peng\u2019s media tour this weekend began with allegedly new photos of her along with a large stuffed animal collection on WeChat. The images appeared in the West through Chinese propagandists sharing them on Twitter. The Communist Party bans Chinese citizens not working for the regime from using Twitter.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"8.3333333333333\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Peng Shuai\u2019s WeChat moments just posted three latest photos and said \u201cHappy weekend\u201d. <br \/>Her friend shared the three photos and the screenshot of Peng\u2019s WeChat moments. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/tut8CEH6gu\">pic.twitter.com\/tut8CEH6gu<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Shen Shiwei\u6c88\u8bd7\u4f1f (@shen_shiwei) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/shen_shiwei\/status\/1461715435385020419?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 19, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Another senior Chinese regime propagandist \u2013 Hu, the editor-in-chief of the&nbsp;<em>Global Times<\/em> \u2013 published several videos of Peng on Saturday, including some of Peng signing tennis balls for fans, allegedly in Beijing, and some showing her dining at a restaurant. Hu insisted the images proved that Peng was happy and safe, despite the lack of date or time.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"7.4457831325301\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Peng Shuai showed up at the opening ceremony of a teenager tennis match final in Beijing on Sunday morning. Global Times photo reporter Cui Meng captured her at scene. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7wlBcTMgGy\">pic.twitter.com\/7wlBcTMgGy<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Hu Xijin \u80e1\u9521\u8fdb (@HuXijin_GT) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HuXijin_GT\/status\/1462223089119338498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 21, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B4\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cCan any girl fake such sunny smile [sic] under pressure?\u201d Hu asked, prompting widespread mockery on Twitter.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"9.322695035461\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Can any girl fake such sunny smile under pressure? Those who suspect Peng Shuai is under duress, how dark they must be inside. There must be many many forced political performances in their countries. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2oDOghBTvA\">pic.twitter.com\/2oDOghBTvA<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Hu Xijin \u80e1\u9521\u8fdb (@HuXijin_GT) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HuXijin_GT\/status\/1462414968268095490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 21, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The event <a href=\"https:\/\/www.isports247.net\/blogs\/in-beijing-the-fila-kids-junior-tennis-challenger-finals-are-set-to-begin\">appears<\/a> to be the&nbsp;Fila Kids Junior Tennis Challenger Finals in Beijing\u2019s National Tennis Center. The&nbsp;<em>Global Times<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globaltimes.cn\/page\/202111\/1239477.shtml\">covered<\/a> the event this weekend \u2013 a bizarre move for the national newspaper, which typically does not offer such local coverage \u2013 and claimed \u201c432 teenagers from 15 provinces and regions\u201d participated in the tournament.<\/p>\n<p>Beijing is currently experiencing a major Chinese coronavirus <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2021\/11\/18\/beijing-limits-domestic-flights-into-city-citing-coronavirus-risk\/\">outbreak<\/a> that prompted the indefinite <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2021\/10\/25\/coronavirus-forces-china-to-postpone-beijing-marathon\/\">postponement<\/a> of the Beijing Marathon in October and extensive limitations on travel, including canceled flights, into the city. The coronavirus situation raises questions regarding how the alleged Fila tournament transpired without incident while much of the rest of normal life in the city endures coronavirus-related limitations.<\/p>\n<p>Hu also shared a video that he asserted \u201cclearly shows\u201d that Peng was out in public on Saturday, without elaborating.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"9.2150943396226\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">I acquired two video clips, which show Peng Shuai was having dinner with her coach and friends in a restaurant. The video content clearly shows they are shot on Saturday Beijing time. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/HxuwB5TfBk\">pic.twitter.com\/HxuwB5TfBk<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Hu Xijin \u80e1\u9521\u8fdb (@HuXijin_GT) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HuXijin_GT\/status\/1462075117266096135?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 20, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\" readability=\"4.7547169811321\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This is the second clip. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BWzdBkIJ94\">pic.twitter.com\/BWzdBkIJ94<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Hu Xijin \u80e1\u9521\u8fdb (@HuXijin_GT) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HuXijin_GT\/status\/1462077244243804170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 20, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Independent verification of the authenticity of these images <a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/ioc-chairman-thomas-bach-held-video-call-with-peng-shuai-amid-concern-about-chinese-tennis-stars-safety-190053155.html\">remains<\/a> elusive.<\/p>\n<p>WTA chairman Simon issued a statement following the release of these videos insisting that they were \u201cinsufficient\u201d to calm concerns regarding Peng\u2019s wellbeing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhile it is positive to see her, it remains unclear if she is free and able to make decisions and take actions on her own, without coercion or external interference,\u201d Simon <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/tennis\/story\/_\/id\/32671331\/photos-missing-chinese-tennis-star-peng-shuai-posted-online\">said<\/a>. \u201cThis video alone is insufficient. As I have stated from the beginning, I remain concerned about Peng Shuai\u2019s health and safety and that the allegation of sexual assault is being censored and swept under the rug. I have been clear about what needs to happen and our relationship with China is at a crossroads.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Simon has publicly threatened to withdraw the WTA\u2019s billion-dollar business from China without an acceptable resolution to Peng\u2019s situation, but no reports indicate he has made any actual moves to make that happen.<\/p>\n<p>A WTA spokesperson again asserted in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/sport\/2021\/nov\/22\/peng-shuai-wta-says-chinese-tennis-stars-call-with-ioc-chief-is-not-enough\">remarks<\/a> to&nbsp;the U.K.&nbsp;<em>Guardian<\/em> on Monday that the videos, and the image from the IOC, had not resolved the organization\u2019s worries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-bixwrd\">\u201cIt was good to see&nbsp;Peng Shuai&nbsp;in recent videos, but they don\u2019t alleviate or address the WTA\u2019s concern about her wellbeing and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion,\u201d the spokesperson told the newspaper. About the IOC claims in particular, the spokesperson said, \u201cThis video does not change our call for a full, fair and transparent investigation, without censorship, into her allegation of sexual assault, which is the issue that gave rise to our initial concern.\u201c<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-bixwrd\">The WTA is facing significant pressure from its players to defend Peng. Peng is one of the world\u2019s greatest doubles tennis players and has won the doubles championship in both Wimbledon and Roland Garros. The tennis world has historically been a tight-knit community of fellow travelers \u2013 literally, as tennis players and their teams round the globe to participate in tournaments every year \u2013 and many of those calling for Peng\u2019s safety know her well.<\/p>\n<p>Among those <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2021\/11\/19\/serena-williams-tennis-world-demand-freedom-for-missing-chinese-champion-peng-shuai\/\">demanding<\/a> justice for Peng are fellow WTA players Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, and Alize Cornet, as well as men\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-11-21\/federer-and-nadal-calls-for-proof-of-peng-shuai-safety-tennis\/100637778\">champions<\/a> Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Roger Federer.<\/p>\n<p><em>Follow Frances Martel on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/francesimartel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/francesimartel\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1637665084237000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1F9zYrgpwHQrc4upp_iUq4\">Facebook<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/francesmartel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/twitter.com\/francesmartel&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1637665084237000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2f93pvbTyjJq0DogiCCiZ-\">Twitter.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Chinese Communist Party flooded social media this weekend with images of Peng Shuai, a tennis champion who disappeared after accusing a senior communist of raping her, insisting she was &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1043264","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1043264","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1043264"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1043264\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1043264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1043264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1043264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}