{"id":1049539,"date":"2021-11-23T18:59:20","date_gmt":"2021-11-23T23:59:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1049539"},"modified":"2021-11-23T18:59:25","modified_gmt":"2021-11-23T23:59:25","slug":"china-concern-for-missing-tennis-star-peng-shuai-maliciously-hyped-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/china-concern-for-missing-tennis-star-peng-shuai-maliciously-hyped-up\/","title":{"rendered":"China: Concern for Missing Tennis Star Peng Shuai \u2018Maliciously\u2019 Hyped Up"},"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\">22<\/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%2Fchina-concern-for-missing-tennis-star-peng-shuai-maliciously-hyped-up%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=1049539&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\/AP21325122442997-640x335-1.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p class=\"subheading\"><span>The Chinese Foreign Ministry finally commented Tuesday on the case of tennis star Peng Shuai, who disappeared after making bombshell rape allegations against a senior Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>After days of refusing to answer questions about Peng, the Foreign Ministry accused people around the world of \u201cmaliciously hyping up\u201d and \u201cpoliticizing\u201d Peng\u2019s story.<\/span><\/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><span>Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian still insisted Peng\u2019s case is \u201cnot a diplomatic matter\u201d on Tuesday, but this time he added some comments about photos and videos released by the Chinese government to prove Peng is alive and well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI believe you have all seen that she recently attended some public events and had a video call with IOC [International Olympic Committee] President Thomas Bach,\u201d Zhao <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/hongkongfp.com\/2021\/11\/23\/peng-shuai-china-says-row-over-tennis-stars-sexual-assault-claims-deliberately-and-maliciously-hyped-up\/\"><span>said<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI think some people should stop deliberately and maliciously hyping up, let alone politicize this issue,\u201d he added.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>Peng, a major sports celebrity in China, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2021\/11\/15\/womens-tennis-china-tennis-star-rape\/\"><span>disappeared<\/span><\/a><span> shortly after writing a November 2 post on China\u2019s Weibo social media platform in which she accused former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of forcing her to have sex a decade ago. The much older Zhang became the highest-ranking CCP official to face such allegations in China\u2019s #MeToo era.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Chinese censors swung into action immediately, deleting Peng\u2019s Weibo post and suppressing searches for information about her.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Tennis fans and fellow players grew increasingly <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2021\/11\/19\/serena-williams-tennis-world-demand-freedom-for-missing-chinese-champion-peng-shuai\/\"><span>concerned<\/span><\/a><span> for her well-being, including court legends and contemporary star players. Peng\u2019s plight also drew the attention of basketball star <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/sports\/2021\/11\/21\/enes-kanter-calls-for-olympics-to-be-moved-from-china-for-peng-shuais-sake\/\"><span>Enes Kanter<\/span><\/a><span>, an outspoken critic of China\u2019s human rights abuses. On Sunday, Kanter added his voice to the chorus of demands for the IOC to cancel the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics \u201cfor Peng Shuai\u2019s sake.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The Women\u2019s Tennis Association and its CEO, Steve Simon, have been remarkably firm in demanding solid proof that Peng is safe and free. Simon was quick to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2021\/11\/18\/womens-tennis-chairman-skeptical-of-all-is-well-email-from-missing-peng-shuai\/\"><span>question<\/span><\/a><span> an email purportedly sent by Peng late last week, when pressure mounted against Beijing, and he threatened to withdraw the WTA from China.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The IOC has been less assertive toward the Chinese government. In a statement on Sunday, IOC President Thomas Bach and a few other Olympic officials said they spoke with Peng in a 30-minute video call. This was the call referenced by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Tuesday.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>The IOC said Peng \u201cexplained she is safe and well, living at her home in Beijing, but would like to have her privacy respected at this time.\u201d&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Chinese state media also published images of Peng relaxing at home, distributing them to the West through social media platforms like Twitter that Chinese citizens are forbidden to use. One photo drew <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2021-11-23\/why-this-peng-shuai-selfie-is-causing-a-stir-online\/100642160?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&amp;utm_content=twitter&amp;utm_medium=content_shared&amp;utm_source=abc_news_web\"><span>special attention<\/span><\/a><span> because a photo of Winnie the Pooh is prominently visible in the background.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>Winnie the Pooh is banned in China because dissidents use the cartoon bear to mock corpulent Chinese dictator Xi Jinping, so some observers wondered if Peng slipped that photo into her proof-of-life set as a \u201cdistress signal\u201d to the outside world, while pro-China social media users suggested the Chinese state inserted that photo as a means of \u201ctrolling\u201d its Western critics.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Despite the Chinese Foreign Ministry\u2019s sarcastic dismissals, human rights groups such as Amnesty International (AI) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) remain skeptical of the proof China has provided to vouch for Peng\u2019s safety.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>HRW\u2019s Australia director, Elaine Pearson, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amp.theguardian.com\/sport\/2021\/nov\/22\/peng-shuai-wta-says-chinese-tennis-stars-call-with-ioc-chief-is-not-enough\"><span>said<\/span><\/a><span> on Tuesday it was \u201cshameful to see the IOC participating in this Chinese government\u2019s charade that everything is fine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B4\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p><span>\u201cPeng Shuai\u2019s allegations must be fully investigated and she must be free to say and do what she wants,\u201d <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/caroinash\/status\/1463242014653358086\"><span>said<\/span><\/a><span> AI\u2019s Asia advocacy director Carolyn Nash.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The WTA is still officially unconvinced.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIt was good to see Peng Shuai 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 a spokesperson said after the IOC held its teleconference with Peng.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said there was simply no substitute for allowing Peng to speak to the worldwide public, free of threats and coercion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cI\u2019m expecting only one thing: that she speaks,\u201d Le Drian said.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Chinese Foreign Ministry finally commented Tuesday on the case of tennis star Peng Shuai, who disappeared after making bombshell rape allegations against a senior Chinese Communist Party (CCP) official. &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"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-1049539","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\/1049539","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\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1049539"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1049539\/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=1049539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1049539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1049539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}