Chinese tennis player Shuai Peng reappeared in public at a junior tournament in Beijing on Sunday, according to photos released by tournament organizers.
The China Open post on social media service Weibo made no mention of a disappearance or sexual assault charge made by Peng against a top Communist Party leader.
Peng is shown next to a court waving a hand and signing oversized youth tennis balls.
This follows an announcement made on Saturday by the editor of a party newspaper on Twitter that Peng would soon be seen in public.
Peng this month accused Zhang Gaoli, a member of the ruling party’s standing committee until 2018, of forcing her to have sex with him.
The government’s silence in response to requests for information on his fate prompted calls to boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics in February.
The WTA has threatened to take events away from China unless we make sure Peng is safe.
“Our main concern is the safety and well-being of Peng Shuai,” Dave Haggerty, president of the International Tennis Federation and member of the International Olympic Committee, said in a statement Sunday. Videos of her this weekend appear to be a positive step, but we will continue to seek direct contact and confirmation from Peng Shuai herself that she is safe and healthy. “
A Chinese government spokesperson said on Friday was unaware of the outcry.
The editor of the party newspaper Global Times, Hu Xijin, wrote on Twitter on Saturday that Peng “was free at home” and “would appear in public and participate in certain activities soon.”
The ruling party has given no indication whether it is investigating Peng’s accusation against Gao, 75, who left the Standing Committee in 2018 and has largely disappeared from public life.
Steve Simon, president and CEO of the WTA, expressed concern for Peng’s safety after Hu posted two videos on Saturday that appeared to show her in a restaurant.
“While it is positive to see her, it is still unclear whether she is free and capable of making decisions and acting on her own, without coercion or outside interference. This video alone is insufficient, Simon said. Our relationship with China is at a crossroads. “
The International Olympic Committee has remained silent on the status of Peng, who has competed in three Olympics.