Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai gave her first interview after accusing a former high-ranking Chinese politician of forced sex. In a video interview with the Singaporean newspaper Lianhe Zaobao, she refuted her words.
Peng Shuai said there was & # 8220; a lot of misunderstandings & # 8221; about her Weibo post.
– I never said and did not write that someone forced me to have sex. This should be emphasized very clearly, & # 8212; she said.
She also denied reporting that she was under surveillance: Why would anyone control (me – Ed. )? I have always been very free.
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) said it was still concerned that it was being censored by the state.
Lianhe Zaobao read on mainland China, and in recent years the publication has been famous for its pro-Beijing coverage. The interview was conducted during a sports event in Shanghai, where she appeared with other athletes, including former NBA basketball player Yao Ming.
In early November, Shuai posted a post on Weibo, in who stated that she was coerced into having sex with Zhang Gaoli, who served as Chinese Prime Minister from 2013-2018. This politician is a close associate of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Shuai quickly removed the notification, but a huge number of users managed to read it. After that, the tennis player stopped communicating.
The tennis player first got in touch on November 22 after disappearing from public space. She spoke via video link with the President of the International Olympic Committee Thomas Bach.
