Tennis star Peng Shuai accuses Chinese politician of sexual assault in deleted social media post

BEIJING — Chinese authorities person squelched virtually each online treatment of intersexual battle accusations seemingly made by a Chinese nonrecreational tennis prima against a erstwhile apical authorities official, showing however delicate the ruling Communist Party is to specified charges.

In a lengthy societal media station that disappeared quickly, Peng Shuai wrote that Zhang Gaoli, a erstwhile vice premier and subordinate of the party’s all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee, had forced her to person enactment contempt repeated refusals pursuing a circular of tennis 3 years ago. Her station besides said they had enactment erstwhile 7 years agone and she had feelings for him aft that.

Peng is simply a erstwhile top-ranked doubles player, taking 23 tour-level doubles titles, including Grand Slams astatine Wimbledon successful 2013 and the French Open successful 2014.

The Associated Press could not verify the authenticity of her post, which was made precocious Tuesday nighttime by her verified relationship connected Weibo, a starring Chinese societal media platform. The station was removed soon after, and a hunt connected Weibo for Peng’s relationship present turns up nary results. Neither she nor Zhang could beryllium reached for comment.

Peng Shuai accused a Chinese person of intersexual battle successful a deleted societal media post.Getty Images

The accusation is the archetypal against a salient authorities authoritative since the #MeToo question took clasp successful China successful 2018 earlier being mostly tamped down by authorities the aforesaid year. Earlier accusations were confined to the media, advocacy groups and academia.

The Communist Party’s effect illustrates its determination to power nationalist sermon and restrain societal movements it can’t beryllium definite of controlling. While societal media has go ubiquitous successful China, it remains firmly nether enactment control.

Screenshots of the station person circulated connected Twitter, which is blocked successful China, reinvigorating treatment connected that level astir sex relations successful China, wherever men predominate the apical levels successful authorities and business.

Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Gaoli was accused of intersexual battle by Peng Shuai.Getty Images

In the post, Peng, 35, wrote that Zhang, present 75, and his woman arranged to play tennis successful Beijing astir 3 years agone and that helium aboriginal brought her into a country astatine his location wherever the battle occurred.

“I was truthful frightened that afternoon, ne'er reasoning that this happening could happen,” the station says.

Rumors and overseas reports astir affairs betwixt younger women and starring officials person agelong been staples of Chinese politics, starting with the laminitis of the People’s Republic, Mao Zedong.

Cases brought against contiguous and erstwhile officials nether enactment person and President Xi Jinping’s decade-long anti-corruption run besides often diagnostic accusations of “lascivious lifestyles,” on with bribery and abusing their positions.

Peng Shuai accused a Chinese person of intersexual battle successful a deleted societal media post.Getty Images

Zhang retired successful 2018 and has mostly disappeared from nationalist life, arsenic is accustomed with erstwhile Chinese officials.

Peng hasn’t played astatine the apical tier since the Qatar Open successful February 2020. In singles, she reached the semifinals of the 2014 U.S. Open and the Round of 16 astatine the consequent Australian Open, but hasn’t progressed beyond the 3rd circular astatine immoderate large since Wimbledon successful 2017.

The Communist Party has progressively cracked down connected civilian society, including the #MeToo question that has struggled to summation traction successful the country.

Zhou Xiaoxuan, a erstwhile intern astatine Chinese authorities broadcaster CCTV, was shoved by bystanders successful September arsenic she went to tribunal successful a lawsuit against a well-known presenter.

Since then, the question has been mostly unopen down by authorities arsenic activists recovered their online posts censored and faced unit from authorities erstwhile trying to clasp protests.