The European Union on Tuesday (November 30) called on Beijing to show evidence of the health of tennis star Peng Shuai. After she was accused of being sexually assaulted by a former senior Chinese official, the international community was worried about her fate.
The EU Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement: “The EU has joined the ever-increasing international requirements, including sports professionals, to ensure that she is free and not threatened.”
The statement said: “The European Union requires the Chinese government to provide verifiable evidence of Peng Shuai’s safety, well-being and whereabouts.”
The EU also urged the Chinese authorities to “conduct a full, fair and transparent investigation into her allegations of sexual assault.”
The former world number one in doubles, Peng posted on social media on November 2 that Zhang Gaoli, the former deputy prime minister of China, had disappeared after sexually assaulting her, and her whereabouts became a worrying issue.
She reappeared in Beijing in mid-November and had a video call with Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). But the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) said that this did not address or alleviate concerns about her health and safety.
The phone number of the Chinese Embassy in Brussels was unanswered on Tuesday. Neither Zhang nor the Chinese government commented on Peng’s allegations, although Beijing has told foreign governments not to interfere in their affairs. This topic has been banned from direct discussion on the Chinese Internet.
