China links critics of trying to ‘maliciously buzz up’ Peng Shuai legend
China has in fact branded setting up concerns over the security of Peng Shuai “maliciously hyped up”, linking its critics of trying to politicise the legend.
The country’s foreign ministry pointed out Peng’s existing video call with Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee, as proof she lived and well in the middle of a substantial diplomatic row over its response to the tennis star’s claims she was sexually assaulted by its previous vice premier.
Ex-Wimbledon doubles champ Peng disappeared from the public eye for virtually 3 weeks after releasing a 1,600-word statement on Chinese social media networks platform Weibo in which she stated Zhang Gaoli had in fact “needed” her to have sexual relations with him.
In its most direct response to the issue yet, China’s foreign ministry mentioned on Tuesday it was “not a diplomatic matter”.
“I believe you have in fact all seen that she simply recently took part in some public celebrations and had a video call [with Bach],” representative Zhao Lijian notified press reporters.
“I think some people need to stop deliberately and maliciously hyping up, not to discuss politicise this issue.”
The host nation for next year’s Winter Olympics spoke out after Human being Rights View (HRW) linked the IOC of being a puppet of the state following Bach’s 30-minute video call with three-time Olympian Peng, in which no recommendation was made from her allegations versus Zhang.
“The IOC has in fact increased itself from silence about Beijing’s abysmal human rights record to active cooperation with Chinese authorities in deteriorating versatility of speech and overlooking expected sexual attack,” mentioned Yaqiu Wang, HRW’s senior China researcher, on Monday night.
“The IOC appears to reward its relationship with a substantial human rights hooligan over the rights and security of Olympic expert athletes.”
HRW also linked the Chinese authorities of continuing to impose a media and web blackout of discussions of Peng’s case, including by censoring her surname and goes over of the sport of tennis.
Lord Coe had earlier argued any kind of Beijing Winter Olympics boycott over the case of Peng would be “a worthless gesture”, while controversially suggesting the Nazi-run 1936 Berlin Games was proof that sport may be a “efficient driver of mix and adjustment”.
Coe spoke out after Bach’s call with Peng was invited with common scepticism in the middle of increasing pressure for sporting bodies and federal governments to ditch their “tranquil diplomacy” methods and not send senior figures to the Beijing Games, which start in bit more than 2 months.
