In a post on social media in November 2021, Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai said Chinese vice premier Zhang Gaoli sexually assaulted her.

The post was quickly removed, and Peng disappeared for weeks, raising international concern over her well-being.

This week, in an interview with French newspaper L'Equipe, Peng apparently backtracked and denied having accused Zhang of sexual assault. However, the interview was conducted under strict conditions imposed by Chinese authorities.

As the first western media outlet to interview Peng, L'Equipe was required to submit their questions in advance. The interview was also done in the presence of a representative from China's Olympic Committee, who translated Peng's responses from Chinese. The newspaper was then ordered to publish Peng's answers verbatim in question-and-answer form.

The tightly controlled atmosphere of the interview has raised questions about whether Peng was forced to retract her harassment claims, and if she is in any danger.

The chairman of the Women's Tennis Association, Steve Simon, said in a statement that Peng's interview did not "alleviate any of our concerns about her initial post from November 2."

"As we would do with any of our players globally, we have called for a formal investigation into the allegations by the appropriate authorities and an opportunity for the WTA to meet with Peng privately to discuss her situation," Simon said in the statement.

"We continue to hold firm on our position and our thoughts remain with Peng Shuai."

A forced statement?

Rights activists have said Peng's interview is another example of the Chinese government "forcing a confession" from a high-profile figure that didn't toe the Communist Party line.

"The fact that the interview was supervised and the questions were sent in advance are obvious indicators that she may not have been free to say what she wanted to say," said Laura Harth, campaign director of the human rights organization Safeguard Defenders. "However, it's difficult to gauge the real situation since no one else was in the room," she added.

According to Chinese human rights lawyer Teng Biao, Chinese authorities have forced human rights activists or foreign nationals to make televised confessions in the past. He said Peng's case fits this pattern. 

"They would be forced to say what the Chinese authorities told them to say under great pressure," Teng told DW.

Peng's harassment allegations

In the initial Weibo post from November, Peng detailed how former Chinese vice premier Zhang Gaoli allegedly forced her to have sex despite her repeated refusals.

She also claimed to have had a consensual sexual encounter with Zhang seven years ago, but no longer had any romantic interest in him.

"Originally, I buried all this in my heart," she wrote in the deleted post. "Why would you even come find me again, take me to your house and force me and you to have sexual relations?"

After screenshots of the post went viral in China, Peng subsequently disappeared from the public for weeks, causing the international community to raise concerns about her well-being.

In December, Peng also denied having made allegations of sexual assault in an interview with a media outlet in Singapore. 

"I never disappeared. It's just that many people, like my friends or people from the IOC (International Olympic Committee) messaged me, and it was simply impossible to answer so many messages," Peng said in the interview.

"But I've always been in close contact with my close friends. I talk to them, I answered their emails, I also talked with the WTA," she added.

In December, Peng also denied having made allegations of sexual assault in an interview with a media outlet in Singapore, claiming the Weibo post was a "misunderstanding."

Andrea Worden, a lecturer in the East Asian Studies Program at Johns Hopkins University in the US, told DW that an important part of the Chinese Communist Party's strategy is to have an individual who had disappeared from the public eye reemerge and issue statements saying everything is fine.

"The fact that Peng was joined by Wang Kan, the chief of staff of the Chinese Olympic Committee, meant that the Chinese government was in control of the process and the script," she said.

"He was present to ensure that she would not go off script."

Chinese human rights lawyer Teng said Peng's recent public appearances during the Beijing Games look like they have been "arranged" by authorities.

"Although Peng was able to meet with representatives from the IOC and reporters, she may have made her remarks under extreme pressure," he said.

What could be next for Peng?

Despite Peng's public statements insisting that she never disappeared, activists remain concerned about her basic rights and freedoms.

"In the beginning, we suspect she may have been put under house arrest or residential surveillance at a designated location, a type of surveillance method that’s often used on human rights activists in China," said Harth from Safeguard Defenders.

"Authorities could impose mental pressure on certain individuals. Another possible source of pressure is threats to family and loved ones. Even if a person returns to the public's view, there might still be threats against her personally or to her family or loved ones," she added.

In the interview published on Monday, Peng also hinted that she may be retiring from professional tennis.

"Considering my age, my multiple surgeries, and the pandemic that forced me to stop for so long, I believe it will be very difficult to regain my physical level," she said.

Worden said that international attention is essential to ensure Peng's well-being, especially if she decides to leave professional tennis.

 "The WTA and Steve Simon are to be commended for continuing to speak out and demand a private meeting," she said.

"On the one hand, the global attention is putting Peng through Beijing's propaganda machine, but on the other hand, we do have indications in general that when these things happen, people are treated better," said Harth.

"There is also hope that what's happening to Peng sheds light on what's happening to tens of thousands of people in China."

Edited by: Wesley Rahn