Strong Pushback and Prestigious Recognition

WTA still can't contact Peng directly after repeated attempts

This morning Beijing woke up to the news that the Women's Tennis Association is suspending all tournaments in China in 2022 in a bid to keep the conversation going about tennis player Peng Shuai who has not been heard from since early November following her explosive sexual assault allegations.

"In good conscience, I don't see how I can ask our athletes to compete [in China] when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has seemingly been pressured to contradict her allegation of sexual assault," said Steve Simon, the WTA's chairman and CEO, in a statement.

Simon says too risky to hold WTA events in China

He was also concerned about the risks players and staff would face should the WTA hold events in China next year. The suspension, enacted immediately, will also apply to events in Hong Kong.

"If powerful people can suppress the voices of women and sweet allegations of sexual assault under the rug, then the basis on which the WTA was founded -- equality for women -- would suffer an immense setback," Simon said. "I will not and cannot let that happen to the WTA and its players."

A WTA spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse over the weekend that Simon had made numerous attempts to reach Peng directly, "to which it was clear her responses were influenced by others".

"While we now know where Peng is, I have serious doubts that she is free, safe and not subject to censorship, coercion and intimidation," Simon said Wednesday, reiterating the WTA's call for a "full and transparent" investigation into Peng's original charges.

Although the chances of WTA tournaments really happening in China are slim because of its strict regulations in trying to keep Covid-19 at bay, Simon's statement and actions are the strongest yet to counter Beijing's bungled handling of this scandal.

Lai honoured with prestigious press freedom prize

In another sign of pushback, jailed tycoon and publisher Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and his staff of the now shuttered Apple Daily have won the prestigious press freedom prize by the World Association of News Publishers.

The pro-democracy newspaper shut down abruptly in June following charges of breaching the national security law. Lai and several senior executives and editors have been detained on "foreign collusion" charges over Apple Daily's support for international sanctions against China.

Warren Fernandez, president of the World Editors Forum, said this year's Golden Pen of Freedom award highlighted the "fears and challenges" of journalists who face increasing curbs in Hong Kong.

"The jailing of a publisher, the arrest of an editor-in-chief and his senior colleagues, the shuttering of a newsroom, and the closure of a media title -- the 2021 Golden Pen award recognises, and reflects on, all of these," Fernandez said at a virtual ceremony on Wednesday.

Sebastian Lai received the award on behalf of his father, and said there will be "less and less people shining light in these dark corners" given Apple Daily's shutdown and the ongoing crackdown on journalism in the region.

Lai's son collected the award on his father's behalf

In a statement announcing the award, the World Association of News Publishers called Lai an "outspoken critic of Beijing's control over Hong Kong and a high-profile supporter of the pro-democracy movement".

Established in 1961, the Golden Pen of Freedom is an annual award that recognises outstanding contributions to the defence and promotion of press freedom.

Lai and Apple Daily, and by extension Hong Kong, are still being remembered by the rest of the world. 

Where is Peng Shuai?

Tennis player Peng has not been heard from since November 2

A growing chorus of people are asking, "Where is Peng Shuai?"

However, no one has personally or publicly heard from the Chinese tennis player, who, according to videos issued by state media, apparently had dinner with people on Saturday, and showed up at a junior tennis tournament today.

She apparently appeared at a tennis event today

No one in the West believes these videos for a second, pointing out it is strange that Hu Xijin, the chief editor of The Global Times would some how obtain these videos without explaining how, and adding that she would show up in public soon enough.

She did, at this junior tennis tournament, but somehow the live feed to the event got cut off...

Meanwhile people around the world are asking on social media #whereispengshuai, including former World No 1 Chris Evert, who wrote on her Twitter: "Yes, these accusations are very disturbing. I've known Peng since she was 14; we should all be concerned; this is serious; where is she? Is she safe?"

Even the Women's Tennis Association chairman and CEO Steve Simon has taken a very strong stand against China, threatening to pull the WTA's events out of China, which means almost a dozen next year, including the WTA final.

WTA's Simon threatening to pull out of China

"There's too many times in our world today when you get into issues like this that we let business, politics, money dictate what's write and what's wrong," Simon said in an interview with CNN.

"And we're definitely willing to pull our business and deal with all the complications that come with it because... this is bigger than the business."

If the WTA really did pull out of China, that would be a major loss of face for Beijing, and Simon knows it.

What is also interesting to note is that Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympics Committee has been silent on this issue the whole time. And the Beijing Winter Olympics will be starting on February 4.

Everyday on Twitter people continue to ask where Peng is, while state media tries (but fails) to convince that she is "fine" and doesn't want to see anybody, that she is just "resting".

An unverified photo of Peng with her cat

Those were the same words used when the Hong Kong booksellers were missing in 2015.

In an explosive post Peng wrote on November 2 on her Weibo that was quickly deleted, she alleged that former vice premier Zhang Gaoli coerced her into having sex.

About three years ago, after Zhang had retired, the post alleges Peng was invited him to play tennis in Beijing.

Afterwards, she wrote, Zhang and his wife brought Peng to their home, where Peng claimed she was pressured into having sex with Zhang.

Senior official Zhang Gaoli

"That afternoon I did not agree at first and was crying all the time," Peng wrote. After dinner with Zhang and his wife, and following much persuading by Zhang, she relented, according to the post.

To be sure, the West will continue to put pressure on China to answer to their concerns and allow Peng to answer freely.

The longer she is not allowed to speak of her own accord, the more skeptical the world becomes.