Australian Open Censors Fans’ ‘Where Is Peng Shuai?’ Shirts, Raising Questions About Tournament’s Chinese Sponsorship
In 2018, Chinese liquor company Luzhou Laojiao signed 'one of the biggest sponsorship deals in the Australian Open's history.'If You’re A Tennis Star, Being Unvaxxed Is As Scandalous As Being Disappeared By A Communist Government
Not only are media pearl-clutching as much over Djokovic as they did over Peng Shuai, this time they're on the authoritarians' side.Women's Tennis Association cancels all tournaments in China and Hong Kong over disappearance of Peng Shuai
The Women's Tennis Association followed through on their threat to cancel all tennis tournaments in China and Hong Kong over the disappearance of Peng Shuai, a player who had made sexual assault accusations against a former Chinese official.
WTA president Steve Simon joined a chorus of critics who accused the Chinese communist government of covering up any involvement they might have had in the disappearance of Shuai. The move will cost the organization hundreds of millions of dollars.
"We're definitely willing to pull our business and deal with all the complications that come with it. Because this is certainly, this is bigger than the business," said Simon previously.
"Women need to be respected and not censored," he added.
The former world top-ranked women's doubles player claimed in early November that former Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli had forced her to have sex with him at his home three years ago. The post was immediately censored on Weibo by the Chinese government.
Shuai went missing for about a month until Chinese state-run media released video of her, but the WTA said they have not been able to speak to her, making many believe that the government is holding her against her will.
"Unfortunately, the leadership in China has not addressed this very serious issue in any credible way. While we know where Peng is, I have serious doubts that she is free, safe and not subject to censorship, coercion and intimidation," said Simon in a new statement.
"The WTA has been clear on what is needed here, and we repeat our call for a full and transparent investigation — without censorship — into Peng Shuai's sexual assault accusation," he added.
"None of this is acceptable nor can it become acceptable," Simon concluded. "If powerful people can suppress the voices of women and sweep allegations of sexual assault under the rug, then the basis on which the WTA was founded — equality for women — would suffer an immense setback. I will not and cannot let that happen to the WTA and its players."
The pointed response of the WTA is in stark contrast to the many American businesses who have gone out of their way to appease China in order to maintain their access to the country's massive markets.
Among those are the NBA and basketball superstar LeBron James, who has harangued Americans to join and support the Black Lives Matter movement, but said it was none of his business when he was pressed to declaim the injustice done by the Chinese communist government.
"This is Steve Simon standing by what he said all along, and showing a lot of strength and backbone in doing that," commented Ben Rothenberg, a tennis journalist.
Here's more about the disappearance of Peng Shuai:
WTA suspends all tennis tournaments in China over Peng Shuaiwww.youtube.com
Tennis star missing since making sexual assault allegations against high-ranking Chinese official — and now UN wants to know her whereabouts
The United Nations on Friday said it wants proof of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai's whereabouts amid growing concern for her well-being after she made sexual assault allegations against a former vice premier and went missing soon after, CBS News reported.
What are the details?
The U.N. Human Rights Office also called for a fully transparent investigation into Peng's claims against Zhang Gaoli, the network added.
More from CBS News:
Peng, 35, a former Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion, alleged on the Chinese social media site Weibo earlier this month that former vice-premier Zhang had "forced" her into sex during a long-term on-off relationship.
The claims were quickly scrubbed from the Twitter-like platform and she has not been seen since, drawing mounting concern over her well-being. [...]
China's central government has refused to even acknowledge any concern for Peng, with a Foreign Ministry spokesman sticking to Beijing's line on Friday that his agency, at least, wasn't aware of the controversy.
Zhao Lijian told reporters the matter was "not a diplomatic question, and I'm not aware of the situation."
Tennis stars speak up
The network said tennis stars Naomi Osaka, Novak Djokovic, and others also have issued demands to China with the social media hashtag #WhereisPengShuai.
And here's what Serena Williams had to say:
I am devastated and shocked to hear about the news of my peer, Peng Shuai. I hope she is safe and found as soon as possible. This must be investigated and we must not stay silent. Sending love to her and her family during this incredibly difficult time. #whereispengshuaipic.twitter.com/GZG3zLTSC6— Serena Williams (@Serena Williams) 1637262000
An ominous email
China's state-controlled media on Wednesday published an email purportedly from Peng to global Women's Tennis Association head Steve Simon stating her sexual assault allegations weren't true and that she's "not missing" or "unsafe," the network reported.
"The news in that release, including the allegation of sexual assault is not true," the message said, according to CBS News. "I'm not missing, nor am I unsafe. I've just been resting at home, and everything is fine."
Simon wasn't buying it, particularly because the message was conveyed by Chinese state media — and, in fact, it caused him more concern for Peng, the network reported.
"I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or believes what is being attributed to her," Simon noted, according to CBS News. "Peng Shuai displayed incredible courage in describing an allegation of sexual assault against a former top official in the Chinese government. The WTA and the rest of the world need independent and verifiable proof that she is safe. I have repeatedly tried to reach her via numerous forms of communication, to no avail."
The network added that Simon told CNN on Thursday that the WTA is "definitely willing to pull our business" out of China if its officials don't account for Peng's whereabouts and investigate her allegation of a sexual assault.
"This is bigger than the business," Simon added to CNN, according to CBS News. "Women need to be respected and not censored."
More from CBS News:
The WTA, in a deal reached with China several years ago, agreed to hold the WTA Finals in the country from 2019 through 2028. Simon said in 2018 that China had promised to invest about $1 billion in women's tennis, including for the construction of an all-new stadium, as part of the agreement.
In his interview with CNN, Simon acknowledged the magnitude of his threat to walk away from that agreement, and said the WTA was prepared to "deal with all the complications that come with it."
Fears grow for missing Chinese tennis star Peng Shuaiyoutu.be
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