China says it opposes politicising sport after WTA boycott over Peng Shuai
BEIJING (AFP, REUTERS) – China on Thursday (Dec 2) hit back at the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) for politicising sport after the organisation said it would suspend events in the country over concerns for Chinese player Peng Shuai’s safety.
“We are firmly opposed to acts politicising sport,” foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in a brief comment to reporters when asked about the WTA boycott.
The WTA on Wednesday announced the immediate suspension of all tournaments in China citing concerns about the well-being of Peng, 35, a Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion, and the safety of other players.
Peng’s whereabouts became a matter of international concern following a nearly three-week public absence after she posted a message on social media in early November, alleging that China’s former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli had sexually assaulted her.
Neither Mr Zhang, who retired in 2018, nor the Chinese government have commented on Peng’s allegation.
The editor of China’s Global Times newspaper had also accused the WTA of coercing Peng to “support the West’s attack” on China by suspending tournaments in the country until it was assured of her well-being.
Known for his combative posts on Twitter, Mr Hu has been outspoken on the scandal involving Peng and her accusation, even as Beijing has been largely silent and the authorities have blocked discussions of the topic on China’s Internet.
“WTA is coercing Peng Shuai to support the West’s attack on Chinese system. They are depriving Peng Shuai’s freedom of expression, demanding that her description of her current situation must meet their expectation,” Mr Hu said on his official Twitter account in a post which cited the WTA’s announcement.
The WTA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Mr Hu’s post on Twitter, which is blocked in China.
The Global Times, a nationalistic tabloid, is published by the ruling Communist Party’s People’s Daily.
Peng did appear in mid-November at a dinner with friends and a children’s tennis tournament in Beijing, photographs and videos published by Chinese state media and by the tournament’s organisers showed.
On Nov 21, the International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach had a 30-minute video call with Peng, who competed at three Olympics, during which she told him she was safe.
But WTA chief executive Steve Simon, who said the decision to suspend tournaments in China had the full support of the WTA Board of Directors, said they were not convinced all was well with Peng.
Aside from seeking assurances of Peng’s well-being, the WTA has called for a “full and transparent investigation” into her accusations against Mr Zhang.
Mr Hu, a prominent state media journalist, has used Twitter to actively comment on the scandal, and was among the first to publish images and videos of her appearances, serving as de facto messenger to the world outside.
He has said that these appearances by Peng should have been enough to relieve or eliminate most concerns for the player, but that people were “aiming to attack China’s system and boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics”.
The US-headquartered tour’s decision to walk away from one of its biggest markets was applauded by many leading figures in the tennis world but could cost the WTA hundreds of millions of dollars in broadcasting and sponsorship revenue.
The WTA’s aggressive expansion into China began just before the 2008 Beijing Olympic tennis tournament, and local interest in the sport was fuelled by Li Na winning the 2011 French Open.
In 2008, China hosted just two WTA events. That grew to nine by 2019.
In 2018, the city of Shenzhen bagged a 10-year deal to host the season-ending WTA Tour Finals with a breathtaking bid that doubled the prize pot to US$14 million (S$19 million) a year.
The WTA had also announced a 10-year deal starting 2017 with streaming platform iQiyi as its digital rights partner in China, reportedly worth US$120 million.
With the Covid-19 pandemic, many sporting events were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 and the WTA removed its Asian swing events, including this year’s Tour Finals, which took place in Mexico. It is unclear when the next WTA event in China was scheduled to take place.
The European Union, the United Nations, the United States and Britain had all called for proof of Peng’s whereabouts and well-being.
“I have been gratified by the massive amount of international support the WTA has received for its position on this matter,” Mr Simon said.
“To further protect Peng and many other women throughout the world, it is more urgent than ever for people to speak out,” he added.
“I hope leaders around the world will continue to speak out so justice can be done for Peng, and all women, no matter the financial ramifications.”
Billie Jean King, a 12-time Grand Slam singles champion who helped found the WTA in 1973, praised the move.
“I applaud Steve Simon & the @WTA leadership for taking a strong stand on defending human rights in China & around the world,” King posted on Twitter.
“The WTA is on the right side of history in supporting our players. This is another reason why women’s tennis is the leader in women’s sports.”
Men’s world No. 1 Novak Djokovic also lent his backing to the WTA’s decision.
“I support fully the WTA’s stance because we don’t have enough information about Peng Shuai and her well-being,” the Serb said on the sidelines of the Davis Cup in Madrid on Wednesday, adding that her health was of the “utmost importance to the world of tennis”.
Peng’s social media message alleging the sexual assault has been removed from the Internet and the issue has been censored in China.
“Chinese officials have been provided the opportunity to cease this censorship, verifiably prove that Peng is free and able to speak without interference or intimidation, and investigate the allegation of sexual assault in a full, fair, and transparent manner,” Mr Simon said.
“Unfortunately, the leadership in China has not addressed this very serious issue in any credible way.”
The International Tennis Federation said it understands the decision of the WTA.
“The WTA has stood firm and true to its values from the start and we understand their decision. We will continue to closely monitor the situation,” the federation said in a statement to AFP.
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