The 35-year-old Athlete posted a complaint against former Deputy Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli on his Weibo account; the post disappeared from the social network
Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai, 35, has accused 75-year-old politician Zhang Gaoli, China’s deputy prime minister from 2012 to 2017, of persecution. The social network Weibo has been removed.
Peng Shuai’s Weibo post was no longer visible on Wednesday, March 3rd. According to the English newspaper The Guardian, mentions of the athlete’s name and the word “tennis” appear to have been blocked by Chinese censors. Users can no longer find Peng’s Weibo profile through a search engine or comment on his posts. The newspaper said it has not yet been able to verify the publication’s authenticity.
According to the tennis player’s account, which went viral on other social media, she had a secret relationship with Zhang Gaoli for years. With Zhang’s political ascent, they would distance themselves. However, Zhang would have invited her to a tennis match with his wife three years ago. At a certain point in the meeting, he began to sexually harass Peng Shuai at his residence. “That day I never gave my consent, I cried all the time,” the tennis player wrote.
In the report, the athlete, who was already the leader of the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) doubles rankings, stated that the politician distanced himself from her many years ago, fearing that their meetings would be recorded.
