{"id":1076076,"date":"2021-12-02T10:14:54","date_gmt":"2021-12-02T15:14:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1076076"},"modified":"2021-12-02T10:14:57","modified_gmt":"2021-12-02T15:14:57","slug":"pompeo-challenges-nba-to-take-action-on-china-after-wtas-decision-to-suspend-tournaments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pompeo-challenges-nba-to-take-action-on-china-after-wtas-decision-to-suspend-tournaments\/","title":{"rendered":"Pompeo Challenges NBA to Take Action on China After WTA\u2019s Decision to Suspend Tournaments"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/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%2Fpompeo-challenges-nba-to-take-action-on-china-after-wtas-decision-to-suspend-tournaments%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=1076076&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--><p>Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo challenged the National Basketball Association (NBA) to take action regarding China\u2019s human rights abuses following the Women\u2019s Tennis Association\u2019s (WTA) decision to suspend tournaments in the nation.<\/p>\n<p>The WTA\u2019s announcement on Wednesday stated the organization would no longer hold tournaments in China, including in Hong Kong, following allegations of sexual assault by a top Chinese official against WTA athlete Peng Shuai.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSteve Simon and the @WTA support their players and stand up for what is right \u2013 regardless of the financial impact,\u201d Pompeo tweeted on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour turn, @NBA,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Steve Simon and the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WTA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@WTA<\/a> support their players and stand up for what is right \u2013 regardless of the financial impact.<\/p>\n<p>Your turn, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NBA<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/TFiIpZMdNc\">https:\/\/t.co\/TFiIpZMdNc<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mikepompeo\/status\/1466161081865449482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 1, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen on November 2, 2021, Peng Shuai posted an allegation of sexual assault against a top Chinese government official, the Women\u2019s Tennis Association recognized that Peng Shuai\u2019s message had to be listened to and taken seriously. The players of the WTA, not to mention women around the world, deserve nothing less,\u201d WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon said in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wtatennis.com\/news\/2384758\/steve-simon-announces-wta-s-decision-to-suspend-tournaments-in-china\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNone of this is acceptable nor can it become acceptable. If powerful people can suppress the voices of women and sweep allegations of sexual assault under the rug, then the basis on which the WTA was founded \u2013 equality for women \u2013 would suffer an immense setback. I will not and cannot let that happen to the WTA and its players,\u201d Simon added.<\/p>\n<p>The WTA leader announced the immediate suspension of \u201call WTA tournaments\u201d in China and Hong Kong as a result.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs a result, and with the full support of the WTA Board of Directors, I am announcing the immediate suspension of all WTA tournaments in China, including Hong Kong. In good conscience, I don\u2019t see how I can ask our athletes to compete there when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has seemingly been pressured to contradict her allegation of sexual assault,\u201d Simon said.<\/p>\n<p>Pompeo\u2019s Twitter post is not the first time he has spoken out against the NBA\u2019s relationship with China. During a 2019 event where he spoke to a gathering of the American Association of Christian Counselors in Nashville, Tennessee, the former secretary of state strongly spoke out against the NBA\u2019s complicity with China\u2019s human rights abuses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Chinese Communist Party is detaining and abusing more than 1 million Uighur Muslims in internment camps in the Xinjiang region of China. The pages of George Orwell\u2019s 1984 are coming to life there. I wish the NBA would acknowledge that,\u201d Pompeo <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/pompeo-nba-china-usa-uighur-muslims\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast with the league, Enes Kanter Freedom recently called out LeBron James for his unwillingness to speak out against human rights abuses in China.<\/p>\n<p>As The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/enes-kanter-freedom-willing-to-have-very-uncomfortable-conversation-with-lebron-james-on-china\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Daily Wire<\/a> previously reported,&nbsp;Freedom has not been shy in criticizing China for its record on human rights abuses, but going after Nike and James is different considering the league in which Freedom plays.<\/p>\n<p>Both James and Nike hold massive influence within the NBA. In 2015, Nike and the NBA agreed to an 8-year apparel deal beginning with the 2017-2018 NBA season worth a reported $1 billion, and James is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the league.<\/p>\n<p>Kanter has criticized James and others in past weeks for staying silent on China while they \u201cpretend they care about social justice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\">member<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo challenged the National Basketball Association (NBA) to take action regarding China\u2019s human rights abuses following the Women\u2019s Tennis Association\u2019s (WTA) decision to suspend tournaments in the nation.The WTA\u2019s announcement on Wednesday stated the organization would no longer hold tournaments in China, including in Hong Kong, following allegations of sexual assault by a top Chinese official against WTA athlete Peng Shuai.\u201cSteve Simon and the @WTA support their players and stand up for what is right \u2013 regardless of the financial impact,\u201d Pompeo tweeted on Wednesday.\u201cYour turn, @NBA,\u201d he added.Steve Simon and the @WTA support their players and stand up for what is right \u2013 regardless of the financial impact.Your turn, @NBA. https:\/\/t.co\/TFiIpZMdNc\u2014 Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) December 1, 2021\u201cWhen on November 2, 2021, Peng Shuai posted an allegation of sexual assault against a top Chinese government official, the Women\u2019s Tennis Association recognized that Peng Shuai\u2019s message had to be listened to and taken seriously. The players of the WTA, not to mention women around the world, deserve nothing less,\u201d WTA Chairman and CEO Steve Simon said in the statement.\u201cNone of this is acceptable nor can it become acceptable. If powerful people can suppress the voices of women and sweep allegations of sexual assault under the rug, then the basis on which the WTA was founded \u2013 equality for women \u2013 would suffer an immense setback. I will not and cannot let that happen to the WTA and its players,\u201d Simon added.The WTA leader announced the immediate suspension of \u201call WTA tournaments\u201d in China and Hong Kong as a result.\u201cAs a result, and with the full support of the WTA Board of Directors, I am announcing the immediate suspension of all WTA tournaments in China, including Hong Kong. In good conscience, I don\u2019t see how I can ask our athletes to compete there when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has seemingly been pressured to contradict her allegation of sexual assault,\u201d Simon said.Pompeo\u2019s Twitter post is not the first time he has spoken out against the NBA\u2019s relationship with China. During a 2019 event where he spoke to a gathering of the American Association of Christian Counselors in Nashville, Tennessee, the former secretary of state strongly spoke out against the NBA\u2019s complicity with China\u2019s human rights abuses.\u201cThe Chinese Communist Party is detaining and abusing more than 1 million Uighur Muslims in internment camps in the Xinjiang region of China. The pages of George Orwell\u2019s 1984 are coming to life there. I wish the NBA would acknowledge that,\u201d Pompeo said.In contrast with the league, Enes Kanter Freedom recently called out LeBron James for his unwillingness to speak out against human rights abuses in China.As The Daily Wire previously reported,\u00a0Freedom has not been shy in criticizing China for its record on human rights abuses, but going after Nike and James is different considering the league in which Freedom plays.Both James and Nike hold massive influence within the NBA. In 2015, Nike and the NBA agreed to an 8-year apparel deal beginning with the 2017-2018 NBA season worth a reported $1 billion, and James is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the league.Kanter has criticized James and others in past weeks for staying silent on China while they \u201cpretend they care about social justice.\u201dThe Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a\u00a0member.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":325,"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-1076076","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\/1076076","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\/325"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1076076"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1076076\/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=1076076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1076076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1076076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}