An email still does not convince about the whereabouts of Peng Shuai 2:59
Hong Kong (CNN) -
International concern continues to grow over Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, who has not been seen in public since he made explosive accusations of sexual assault against a senior Communist Party official.
Peng, 35, one of China's most recognizable athletes, accused former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of forcing her to have sex, according to screenshots of a since deleted social media post dated Nov.2.
Chinese censors have removed any mention of the indictment online and blocked their Chinese internet social media accounts.
An email purportedly from Peng but published by Chinese state media has only raised concerns about his whereabouts.
Some of the biggest names in the sport have asked China to confirm their safety and investigate their allegations.
The President and CEO of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), Steve Simon, has threatened to withdraw from China if Peng is not taken into account and his allegations are not properly investigated.
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This is what you should know about the prosecution and the evolution of its consequences.
Who is Peng Shuai?
Peng is a two-time Grand Slam doubles champion and one of the best tennis players in China.
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From Hunan, in central China, the 35-year-old made history in 2014 when she became the first Chinese player, whether male or female, to reach the world's top spot in doubles.
Her two major doubles titles were won at Wimbledon in 2013 and the French Open in 2014. Peng also reached the singles semi-finals at the 2014 US Open and is a three-time Olympic winner.
She won 25 touring titles and was ranked 17th in the world singles rankings.
The international success of Peng and her fellow Chinese tennis stars Li Na and Zheng Jie has been recognized for helping the popularity of the sport skyrocket in China, particularly for the women's game.
Who is Zhang Gaoli and what accusations has Peng made?
Zhang Gaoli, 75, served on the ruling Communist Party's Politiburo Standing Committee, the country's supreme leadership body, from 2012 to 2017 during leader Xi Jinping's first term in power.
He retired as deputy prime minister in 2018.
In a social media post that has since been removed on November 2, Peng accused Zhang of forcing her to have sex and alleges a relationship for an intermittent period that lasted at least 10 years.
About three years ago, after Zhang retired, the publication alleges that Peng was invited by him to play tennis in Beijing.
Afterward, he wrote, Zhang and his wife took Peng to their home, where Peng claimed that she was pressured into having sex with Zhang.
"That afternoon I did not agree at first and cried all the time," Peng wrote.
After having dinner with Zhang and his wife, and after Zhang persuaded her, she relented, according to the publication.
Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli at a forum on May 14, 2017 in Beijing.
"Why did you have to come back with me, take me to your house to force me to have sex with you?" She wrote.
"I couldn't describe how disgusted I was, and how many times I wondered if I am still a human being. I feel like a walking corpse. Every day I acted, who is the real me?"
Peng said he had no evidence to prove his accusations and claimed that Zhang was always concerned that he would record things.
CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of the 1,600+ word post.
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What happened to Peng?
Peng's explosive #MeToo accusation prompted China's censors to respond to an unprecedented level.
His post on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, was removed within 30 minutes of posting, and censors removed any mention of the allegation online.
His Weibo account, which has more than half a million followers, is still blocked in search engines on the platform.
Peng has not been seen in public since the indictment and her whereabouts have not been publicly disclosed.
CNN has repeatedly reached out for comments from both her and China's State Council, which handles press inquiries about the central government.
WTA chief Simon told CNN that he had been in conversation with his counterparts at the China Tennis Association, who had assured him that Peng was unharmed in Beijing.
However, attempts to communicate directly with Peng were unsuccessful, he said.
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What have the Chinese and international authorities said?
The Chinese authorities have so far refused to publicly acknowledge Peng's accusations against Zhang.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in separate comments on November 17 and 18 that the issue was "not a diplomatic matter" and declined to comment further to reporters.
But on November 17, Chinese state media published an email, allegedly sent to the WTA's Simon from Peng, rejecting his allegations and stating that he is fine.
Simon questioned the veracity of the email, describing it as a "prepared statement of some kind."
It has required China to provide "independent and verifiable evidence" that Peng is safe.
"If she was forced to write it, someone wrote it for her, we don't know," she said.
"But at this point I don't think it has any validity and we will not be comfortable until we have a chance to talk to her," he added.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said it would not comment on the matter and suggested that "silent diplomacy" should be addressed, according to Reuters.
Peng's disappearance has sparked a wave of concern, with some of the world's best tennis players expressing themselves with the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai.
Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Billie Jean King and Chris Evert are among those who expressed shock and called for their allegations to be investigated.
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What happens next?
There is significant pressure on the Chinese authorities to provide proof that Peng is safe.
WTA chief Simon said he is willing to lose hundreds of millions of dollars on business in China if it is not fully explained.
"We are definitely willing to throw out our business and deal with all the complications that come with it," Simon said in a Nov. 18 interview with CNN.
"Because this is certainly, this is bigger than the business," he added.
And tennis in China is big business, with the WTA commitments alone amounting to around $ 1 billion.
The WTA also has its Asia-Pacific headquarters based in Beijing and the WTA has a 10-year contract with China to host the WTA Finals in the city of Shenzhen in southern China.
The controversy could also affect the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, which begin on February 4.
The WTA has been more forceful than other organizations that have previously clashed with the Chinese authorities over freedom of expression and human rights issues.
Sports stars or companies who speak out have encountered significant political and public backlash, as well as loss of access.
Natasha Kassam, director of public opinion and foreign policy at the Lowy Institute, said the WTA has some influence over China.
The WTA, one of the most recognized organizations in sport
"Most of the other cases where we have seen China interfering with sports organizations, they have not had a missing colleague or teammate. This is on a different level. Therefore, the reaction from the WTA is strong. , and it's useful, and it's using the leverage that you have. "
CNN's Nectar Gan, Rhea Mogul, Erin Burnett and Yong Xiong contributed to the report.
