“Steve Simon contacted Peng Shuai through different communication channels. He has sent him two emails, but it was clear that his responses were influenced by other people”the spokeswoman explained.
This spokesperson did not want to comment instead on an information from the BBC, based on statements by a “friend” of the player, according to which she would have sent an email to Steve Simon, thanking him for his concern, but asking him not to intervene and leave her ” quiet”.
The 35-year-old athlete, a doubles champion at Roland-Garros in 2014, posted a lengthy message on the Chinese social network Weibo in early November about her relationship with former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, 75.
In this text in the form of an open letter, quickly censored by the Chinese internet, Peng Shuai talks about her feelings towards the former leader, retired since 2018 and reproaches him for having forced her into a sexual relationship three years ago.
Afterwards, he totally disappeared from social networks for several days. The United Nations (UN), several Western countries, including the United States, France or the United Kingdom, and numerous world-renowned tennis players, from Chris Evert to Novak Djokovic, asked China to provide explanations about their whereabouts and status of Health.
Finally, the tennis player reappeared last weekend in a tennis tournament organized in Beijing and in a restaurant, in images released by the Chinese official media and spoke with the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by videoconference.
According to the IOC, Peng Shuai explained that she was “safe and sound in her home in Beijing, but that she wanted her private life to be respected.”
The official and guarded nature of her statements and appearances – the Chinese Li Lingwei, a member of the IOC, was present at the videoconference – does not seem to have reassured the movement in support of the player.
On Tuesday, Beijing finally reacted officially, something exceptional because the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs had refused to comment on this case, stating that it did not belong to the diplomatic sphere.
Asked about the impact of the controversy on China’s image, a spokesman, Zhao Lijian, reacted briefly in a meeting with the press.
“I think some have to stop deliberately and malevolently exaggerating and politicizing this issue.”he declared.
Zhao did not elaborate on who he was addressing with his claims.
A day later, the European Union requested “verifiable evidence” of the tennis player’s freedom of movement and a “transparent” investigation of her allegations about the sexual abuse of which she claims to have been a victim.
“We continue to ask the Chinese government to provide independent and verifiable evidence of the tennis player’s well-being and whereabouts. We hope that she will soon be able to resume her sporting and non-sporting activities.”wrote Nabila Massrali, a spokesperson for European Union (EU) diplomacy.
Source From: Ambito
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