BEIJING – An employee of China’s state broadcaster posted photos of the missing tennis star Peng Shuai online in a new attempt to dispel worries about her disappearance after she accused a senior leader of sexual assault.
The photos appeared on Twitter Friday, which most Internet users in China cannot see. State broadcaster Shen Shiwei wrote that they were on Peng’s account on the messaging service WeChat with the comment, “Happy weekend”.
The ruling Communist Party faces growing calls from tennis stars and the sport’s professional tour to prove Peng, the three-time athlete, was a track and field athlete. and used to be the number 1 female tennis player, safe and let her speak freely.
Meanwhile, the editor of a newspaper published by the party said Peng will soon be “revealed to the public”.
The controversy is turning politically awkward as the Chinese capital prepares to host the Winter Olympics in February. A State Department spokesman on Friday denied knowing of the outcry over Peng’s disappearance.
Peng, 35, has not been seen in public since posting a statement on social media this month accusing Zhang Gaoli, a former member of the party’s Standing Committee and ruling party inside, of coercing her. sex despite repeated rejections.
Shen works for CGTN, the English-speaking branch of China Central Television that targets foreign audiences. His Twitter post comes after CGTN this week released a statement it attributed to Peng withdrawing the charges against Zhang.
The editor of Global Times, an English-language newspaper published by the Communist Party, said on Twitter he had confirmed from unidentified sources that the photos “really represent Peng Shuai’s current state. “
“In the past few days, she is at home freely and she does not want to be disturbed,” wrote editor Hu Xijin. “She will soon appear in public and participate in some activities.”
The photos show Peng with a gray cat and holding a panda figurine in a private home with stuffed animals lined up behind her. There is no indication of when the photos were taken.
The President and CEO of the Women’s Tennis Association, Steve Simon, on Wednesday questioned the legitimacy of the statement made by CGTN. Simon said it “just added to my concerns about her safety.”
