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Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai reappears at public event
Peng can be seen in a navy sports jacket and white trackpants at the Fila Kids Junior Tennis Challenger Finals, according to photos published on the official Weibo account of the China Open -- her first public appearance since her sexual abuse accusations were widely censored on the Chinese internet.
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In this file photo taken on June 30, 2016, China's Peng Shuai hits a return against US player Sloane Stephens during their women's singles second round match on the fourth day of the 2016 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London. Britain on November 20, 2021 urged China to provide (AFP/Glyn Kirk)
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hinese tennis star Peng Shuai appeared at a Beijing tennis tournament Sunday, according to official event photos, after international pressure mounted for information about her wellbeing.
Peng can be seen in a navy sports jacket and white trackpants at the Fila Kids Junior Tennis Challenger Finals, according to photos published on the official Weibo account of the China Open -- her first public appearance since her sexual abuse accusations were widely censored on the Chinese internet.
The two-time Grand Slam doubles champion had not been seen publicly since alleging earlier this month that former vice premier Zhang Gaoli, now in his 70s, "forced" her into sex during an on-off relationship spanning several years.
Following a global outcry, including from tennis superstars and the United Nations, Chinese state media reporters have released a flurry of footage purporting to show all is well with Peng.
A video from the event, tweeted by Global Times newspaper editor Hu Xijin, shows Peng standing in a stadium among a group of guests whose names are announced to a smattering of applause.
A Global Times reporter tweeted another video showing Peng signing autographs for children at what appears to be the same stadium before posing for photos with them.
Hu also posted two other videos on Saturday, the first showing Peng walking into a restaurant wearing a coat, knit cap and face mask.
A visible sign says Beijing Yibin Guesthouse, a famous restaurant a stone's throw from Tiananmen Square, owned by the Sichuan local government.
In the second, Peng is maskless sitting at a table chatting with people over a meal.
AFP could not verify the authenticity of the videos.
Hu tweeted in English that the second video shows "Peng Shuai was having dinner with her coach and friends in a restaurant. The video content clearly shows they are shot on Saturday Beijing time."
The conversation revolved around "tennis matches". A man sitting with Peng and two women said "tomorrow is November 20th".
But one of the women quickly corrects him, saying, "It is the 21st", implying that the video was filmed on Saturday.
The chat appears to be staged. It was filmed in the evening hours with a mobile phone. Peng appears relaxed in the footage.
