(Brussels) EU calls on Chinese authorities for “verifiable evidence” of tennis player Peng Shuai’s freedom of movement and a “transparent” investigation into allegations of sexual abuse she says she suffered, said on Wednesday a spokesperson in Brussels.
“We have seen the remarks attributed to Peng Shuai and the images of his public appearance. However, the information on the allegations of abuse and the fact that she has not been seen for two weeks remains very worrying, ”wrote Nabila Massrali, spokesperson for EU diplomacy, in a statement. message to AFP.
“We are unable to comment on the allegations themselves, but we urge a full and transparent investigation,” she added.
“Requests for reliable information are legitimate,” insisted Mr.me Massrali in response to the Chinese authorities’ call not to “politicize” or “blunt” the affair.
“We always ask the Chinese government to provide independent and verifiable evidence of her well-being and her whereabouts. We hope that she will soon be able to resume her normal sporting and non-sporting activities, ”she concluded.
The 35-year-old sportswoman, doubles champion at Roland Garros in 2014, published in early November on the Chinese social network Weibo a long message on her relationship with the former Deputy Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli, 40 years her senior.
In this text in the form of an open letter, she spoke at length about her feelings towards the ex-leader, retired since 2018. She criticized him in particular for having forced her to have sex three years ago. .
Many stars of world tennis, from Chris Evert to Novak Djokovic and several Western countries, including France and the United States, have called on Beijing to shed light on the fate of Peng Shuai.
“The fate of tennis champion Peng Shuai has raised concern among EU member states,” EU representative in China Nicolas Chapuis said on Tuesday, deploring “the wall of silence observed on the Chinese side”.
The young woman reappeared last weekend in a restaurant in Beijing and during a tennis tournament in the Chinese capital, according to videos published by official media.
On Sunday, she also spoke by videoconference with Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
According to the IOC, Peng Shuai explained that she was “safe and sound at her home in Beijing, but that she would like her privacy to be respected.”
The WTA, the governing body of the women’s professional tennis circuit, was however skeptical.