Peng Shuai says her allegations of sexual assault against former Chinese official were misunderstood

Chinese tennis prima Peng Shuai appeared successful a caller video connected Sunday claiming that her allegations of intersexual battle against a erstwhile elder Chinese official, which prompted planetary outcry implicit her evident silencing, had been misunderstood and she remained “very free.”

“I person ne'er said oregon written that anyone has sexually assaulted me. I person to accent this point,” Peng told a newsman from Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao newspaper, successful her archetypal nonstop comments to journalists since she posted explosive claims connected Chinese societal media successful November and disappeared from nationalist view, reemerging lone successful carefully curated appearances amplified by Chinese authorities outlets.

In the abbreviated video interview, successful which Peng appeared to laughter disconnected the controversy, she referred to the contents of the connection arsenic “a backstage matter.” “People seemed to person made a batch of misinterpretations,” she said, confirming for the archetypal clip the authenticity of the station past period connected her Weibo profile.

Yet Sunday’s interrogation with a Chinese-language Singaporean outlet known for its pro-Beijing leanings failed to assuage concerns astir Peng’s quality to talk freely successful a state wherever authorities are known to extract confessions, often staged, from those who autumn afoul of the state.

The World Tennis Association said successful a connection Monday that “these appearances bash not alleviate oregon code the WTA’s important concerns astir her well-being and quality to pass without censorship oregon coercion.”

“We stay steadfast successful our telephone for a full, just and transparent investigation, without censorship, into her allegation of intersexual assault, which is the contented that gave emergence to our archetypal concern,” it said.

In Sunday’s video, Peng appears to springiness an impromptu interrogation to a newsman who had spotted her connected the sidelines of a cross-country skiing lawsuit successful Shanghai. Before the writer greets her, Peng turns toward the newsman with a smile, readily answering questions. Peng appears confused erstwhile asked if she is escaped to travel and spell from her location successful Beijing.

“Why would I beryllium monitored? I’ve ever been precise free," Peng said. Asked if she was so the writer of an email successful November — which Chinese authorities outlet CGTN said Peng had sent to the WTA, insisting that “everything is fine” — Peng said she had written the Chinese mentation of the message, which was aboriginal translated.

When asked astir question extracurricular of China, Peng said she had nary upcoming tournaments oregon plans to spell abroad, adding that she has “nothing to prove.” “What would I bash abroad? You archer me,” she said.

On Monday, a newsman with the state-run nationalist tabloid Global Times posted a video of Peng astatine the skiing event, chatting with Chinese hoops prima Yao Ming.

Peng has not fixed interviews to immoderate different planetary outlets and has not responded to messages sent to her authoritative Weibo account. Queries to her sports agents went unanswered connected Monday. The Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Sports, nether which Peng trained, did not respond to a faxed petition for an interrogation with Peng. The Women’s Tennis Association successful Beijing said it could not marque her disposable for an interview.

A station connected Peng’s authoritative Weibo leafage past period claimed that erstwhile vice curate Zhang Gaoli had pressured her into having enactment with him, and that Peng had subsequently entered into a semipermanent matter with the elder official, who is 4 decades older than her. The station said Peng was aggravated astatine Zhang for insisting connected keeping their matter a secret.

“I cognize I can’t accidental it each clearly, and that there’s nary usage successful saying it,” the station said. “But I inactive privation to accidental it.”

Peng’s allegations sent daze waves done China, wherever her archetypal station was rapidly censored and treatment of the uncommon nationalist allegations against a apical person proceed to beryllium blocked connected societal media platforms. Zhang, who is retired, has not responded publicly to Peng’s accusations. China’s State Council Information Office has not responded to a petition for an interrogation with Zhang oregon faxed questions astir whether Chinese prosecutors would analyse the claims.

Outside of China, Peng’s lawsuit has raised questions astir the ethics of doing concern successful the country, wherever authorities are accused of quality rights abuses specified arsenic the wide detention of Uyghurs successful Xinjiang and suppression of civilian liberties successful Hong Kong. The WTA earlier this period suspended its tournaments successful mainland China and Hong Kong implicit concerns astir Peng’s safety.

The tennis star’s allegations besides galvanized calls for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics successful February. A increasing fig of countries including the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom person said they volition not nonstop authorities representatives to the Games.

Alicia Chen successful Taipei and Lyric Li successful Seoul contributed to this report.