China’s Peng Shuai reacts during her first round singles match against Japan’s Nao Hibino at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia on Jan. 21, 2020. In a post last month on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform, Peng had alleged that former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli — who is in his 70s — coerced her into sex during an on-off relationship spanning several years. In comments to Lianhe Zaobao, a Singaporean Chinese-language newspaper, Peng denied making the allegation. The incident sparked international concern about her safety, including from the United Nations, the White House and fellow tennis stars. In the Zaobao video, when asked about the Weibo statement, Peng did not deny the post but described it as a "private matter" that people had "many misunderstandings" about.

Source: Manila Times December 21, 2021 04:17 UTC