IOC gives encouraging news on Peng Shuai 1:01
Hong Kong (CNN) -
Almost as abruptly as he disappeared, Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai reappeared publicly this weekend.
Since Friday night, a steady stream of photos and videos purporting to show Peng smiling in his life in Beijing has appeared on Twitter, all posted by people working for the Chinese government-controlled media and sports system. state, on a platform blocked in China.
The apparent propaganda push was followed Sunday by a video call between Peng and the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach.
In this, the three-time Olympian insisted that she is "safe and well, living at home in Beijing."
And he said he would like "to see his privacy respected," according to an IOC statement.
The flurry of "proof of life" videos came amid a storm of global concern for Peng, who disappeared from the public eye for more than two weeks after taking to social media to accuse former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli of forcing her. to have sex at home, an explosive and politically sensitive accusation that sparked widespread censorship in China.
Who is Zhang Gaoli, the politician accused by tennis player Peng Shuai?
While Peng's public reappearances may allay some of the worst fears about his immediate safety and well-being, they have failed to quell larger concerns about his freedoms and growing calls for a full investigation into his sexual assault allegations.
"Narrative controlled by the State"
"It was good to see Peng Shuai in recent videos, but they do not alleviate or address the WTA's concern about her well-being and ability to communicate without censorship or coercion," a spokesperson for the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) told aCNN in a statement, following Peng's call with the IOC.
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Peng Shuai's disappearance worries the Women's Tennis Association 2:30
Human rights defenders who have followed Beijing's silencing campaigns are also not convinced.
"What we have here is essentially a state-controlled narrative: only the government and its affiliated media are generating and distributing the content on Peng's story," said Maya Wang, senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch (HRW).
"While Peng may be fine, the story of people disappearing at the hands of the Chinese government and then making videos of them to show they are unharmed when in fact the opposite should concern us for Peng's safety. "he added.
What is seen in the videos
The video clips appear to have been specifically, albeit crudely, crafted to show that Peng is "free" and leads a "normal" life.
In images released Saturday, Peng was seen at a dinner with several people who state media reporters have described as "her coach and friends."
The clips made repeated and deliberate references to the dates, while Peng kept nodding to the man next to her and saying anything herself.
None of the videos made any mention of Peng's sexual assault allegations against Zhang.
Instead, they focused on their smiles and apparent good humor, which state media propagandists were eager to highlight.
What the state media are saying
"Can any girl fake such a cheery smile under pressure?" Asked Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the state tabloid Global Times, in a tweet on Sunday, accompanying a clip of a smiling Peng signing oversized tennis balls. for children at a youth tennis match in Beijing.
"Those who suspect that Peng Shuai is under duress, how dark they must be inside. There must be many, many forced political performances in their countries," Hu wrote on Twitter.
The Global Times, like other government-controlled media outlets in China, has made no reference to Peng's apparent disappearance, or to his accusations against Zhang. Hu has also been careful on Twitter not to mention why Peng is in the spotlight, referring to her only indirectly as "what people are talking about."
To date, the Chinese government has repeatedly refused to comment on the Peng case.
At a press conference on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said Peng's accusation is not a diplomatic issue and declined to comment further.
CNN has reached out to the Information Office of the State Council of China, which handles the central government's press inquiries, seeking comment.
Skepticism for Peng's welfare
Skepticism about Peng's well-being is especially high among Chinese activists who have closely watched how the government has silenced and coerced their peers.
"The reality is that they have a great deal of control over Peng Shuai, to the extent that it is enough to make her cooperate and become an actress," alleged Lv Pin, a prominent Chinese feminist who now lives in New York.
"This has happened in many cases in the past. Many 'criminals' who were forced to confess on television had to make their performances look real," he said, referring to a series of forced confessions broadcast on state television, such as those of Chinese human rights lawyers and Hong Kong booksellers.
Chinese authorities have so far chosen not to put Peng on state television, perhaps aware that his presence, even only on their English-language platforms, would run counter to ongoing efforts to censor all discussions of his original allegations. and therefore it would raise more questions than answers within China.
The IOC video call with Peng Shuai
Instead, Peng appeared on a 30-minute video call with IOC officials, accompanied and under close surveillance by a Chinese sports official who previously served as Communist Party secretary of the Tennis Administration Center of the General Administration of Sport of China. .
Chinese state media have not reported the interview.
But on its website, the IOC posted a statement and a photo of the call.
He did not post the full video, nor did he explain the circumstances surrounding the virtual meeting, including how it was organized.
And it appears that IOC officials withdrew from the meeting, publicly at least, concluding that Peng is fine.
"I was relieved to see that Peng Shuai was doing well, which was our main concern," said IOC Athletes Commission President Emma Terho, who joined the video call along with Li Lingwei, the Chinese sports official.
"The call from the IOC does not alleviate our concerns"
By drawing quick conclusions about Peng's current status and avoiding any mention of his sexual assault allegations that sparked all the controversy, analysts say the IOC is risking its own credibility and potentially risks becoming an accessory to Beijing's propaganda push. .
"The call from the IOC does not alleviate our concerns for Peng's welfare or safety," said HRW's Wang.
Chinese state media claims to show new videos of tennis star Peng Shuai
"Indeed, the question arises as to why the IOC appears to be engaging in what is essentially a state-controlled narrative, as only the Government and its affiliated media have been able to tell Peng's story."
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