Olympics: the appearance of tennis player Peng Shuai and Beijing's propaganda
The Chinese tennis star gave an interview to L'Équipe supervised by government handlers. She denied the sexual abuse allegation against former vice premier Zhang Gaoli. Doubts remain about her freedom. The Communist Party is using sport as a political tool.
Beijing (AsiaNews) – Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, who had accused former vice premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault, appeared at the Beijing Winter Olympics whilst Chinese authorities are going to great lengths to prove Peng is free.
The tennis player dined with Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, and accepted an interview with L'Équipe, a French sports newspaper.
Her post last November accusing Zhang remained online for about 20 minutes before it was removed from Weibo (a Chinese microblogging website similar to Twitter).
Chinese authorities have censored all reports and discussions of the affair. Many athletes and international organisations have expressed their concern for the athlete's safety and whereabouts.
Officials from the Chinese Olympic Committee organised the exclusive interview with the French paper, which had to submit the questions in advance.
The French journalists had to conduct the interview in Chinese with a government official as an interpreter even though Peng speaks fluent English.
L’Équipe published the entire exchange during which Zhang's name was not mentioned.
Peng denied having been sexually abused. "Sexual assault? I never said anyone made me submit to a sexual assault,” the tennis player said in the interview.
She explained that the post “resulted in an enormous misunderstanding”, later claiming that she removed it without any explanation, just “because I wanted to”.
The athlete also stressed that she kept in touch with her friends and never went missing.
Marc Ventouillac, one of the two journalists who interviewed Peng, said the tennis player “answered our questions without hesitating” and “knew what she was going to say.”
When it came to the issue of sexual abuse, Peng seemed more attentive and nervous, Ventouillac said.
“It's a part of communication, propaganda, from the Chinese Olympic Committee" and "this interview does not give proof that there is no problem with Peng Shuai,” he added.
Official Chinese media continue to remain silent on the tennis player's affair. Peng's appearance at the Olympics and her interview were not mentioned in official Chinese-language newspapers or on social media in China.
US-born Chinese skier Eileen Gu also endorsed the official rhetoric about Peng. She said she was happy that the tennis player watched her freestyle competition. "I am grateful that she (Peng Shuai) is happy and healthy,” she said.
Eileen Gu who won the gold medal in freestyle skiing is seen as a patriotic and promising rising star by official media, regardless of her ambiguous attitude on her citizenship.
Meanwhile, Zhang Gaoli might be in trouble over the scandal, but according to official reports, he is safe.
For the Lunar New Year, Supreme Leader Xi Jinping usually sends good wishes to retired top leaders – a traditional routine observed by the Chinese Communist Party – including Zhang.
Chinese authorities argue that sport should be free from politics. However, there is no lack of political statements and propaganda by China associated with Olympic events.
A military officer wounded in the conflict on the border between China and India participated in the torch relay, whilst an ethnic Uyghur and a majority Han Chinese were chosen to light the Olympic cauldron.
After Eileen Gu won a gold medal, the General Administration of Sport of China immediately sent a congratulatory letter encouraging her to “earn more honor for the Party and the state”.
Ironically, four years ago the then Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli received the Chinese delegation returning from the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Zhang was also the chief in charge of preparatory work for the Beijing Winter Games.
He instructed athletes and coaches to “make good achievements in the Beijing Winter Olympics as an important political task, and live up to the expectation of the General Secretary (Xi Jinping) and the expectations of the people of the motherland”.
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