Status: 1:44 p.m
In early November, Peng Shuai accused top politician Zhang Gaoli of forcing her to have sex on the social network Weibo
Quelle: pa/empics/Anthony Devlin
It is still unclear how Peng Shuai is faring. The tennis star had raised allegations of sexual abuse against the former Vice Premier of China. Since then, the news situation has been confused. The organizers of the Australian Open, however, prevent protest actions.
WITHSpectators at the Australian Open are not allowed to wear T-shirts with inscriptions that can be understood as criticism of China’s handling of tennis player Peng Shuai. Clothing, banners or signs with “advertising or political” content are prohibited under the entry fees at the tennis tournament, said a spokesman for the Tennis Australia Association.
A video had previously surfaced online showing security guards at the Melbourne venue preventing spectators from wearing t-shirts that read ‘Where’s Peng Shuai?’ The video also shows security guards apparently removing a banner.
The Peng Shuai case attracted worldwide attention at the end of last year. In early November, the tennis player accused former Chinese Deputy Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli of forcing her to have sex on the Twitter-like Chinese online service Weibo.
Great doubts about Peng Shuai’s well-being
The post was quickly censored by Chinese authorities, and Peng himself was not seen in public for nearly three weeks. Sports associations, the United Nations and Western governments were then alarmed about the fate of the tennis star. At the end of December, Peng commented publicly on the affair – and took back the allegations against Zhang.
Internationally, there are still great doubts about Peng’s well-being. The women’s tennis association WTA has suspended its tournaments in China out of concern for Peng. The Tennis Australia spokesman stressed that the “safety of Peng Shuai” was the association’s “primary concern”. “We continue to work with the WTA and the global tennis community to gain more clarity on their situation and we will do everything we can to ensure their wellbeing.”
