Singapore newspaper Lianhe Zaobao brought a video call in which 35-year-old Pcheng Shui addressed the camera for the first time. She described a post on November 2 on social media that she had been the victim of sexual assault by former Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Chang Kao-lim as a misunderstanding.
“First of all, I have to emphasize something that is very important: I never said or wrote that someone had sexually assaulted me,” Pcheng Shui said during a campaign for the Beijing Winter Olympics, without mentioning the name of the person whose victim was to be .
In response, the WTA reiterated its concern. “This speech will not dispel WTA’s concerns about its well-being and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion,” the association said, calling for a fair and transparent investigation of the allegations since the beginning of the case.
The accusation came in November
In early November, Pcheng Shuai accused Chang Kao-lima of forcing her to have sex several years ago. A former member of the powerful Communist Party politburo allegedly committed this in 2018. Seven years earlier, the tennis player had a relationship with him, but later ended.
The post of the Chinese sports star, which appeared on the local social network Weibo, similar to Twitter, was removed about half an hour after the publication. However, the screenshots were further shared in private groups. The tennis player then disappeared from public life and only after pressure from foreign media and organizations appeared in videos of party media.
In mid-November, China released a letter allegedly coming from Phua Shui, in which it denied its allegations. Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, has twice joined the player. She assured him he was fine and safe. The case has not gone unanswered by human rights organizations.
The Chinese side considers the whole case to be politicized and an effort to force a boycott of the February Beijing Games beginning on February 4.
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