Peng Shuai affair: China calls for an end to "hairpin"

China called on Tuesday (November 23) to stop "

" the Peng Shuai affair, during an exceptional official reaction to the sex scandal targeting a former senior regime official.

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Chinese tennis champion Peng Shuai, Roland Garros' double winner in 2014, accused former Vice Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli in early November of forcing her into a sexual relationship three years ago. Until now, questioned almost daily, the Chinese Foreign Ministry generally refused to comment on this affair, saying that it did not fall within the diplomatic sphere.

Asked Tuesday during a press briefing, spokesman Zhao Lijian however reacted to the controversy that has been targeting his country since the beginning of the month. "

," he said. Zhao did not specify who he was specifically targeting in his words.

In addition to many stars of world tennis, from Chris Evert to Novak Djokovic, several Western countries, including France, the United States and the United Kingdom, have asked Beijing to shed light on the fate of Peng Shuai, whose fate is went without news for several weeks.

The champion finally appeared on Sunday during a video conference with the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, ensuring that she was doing well.

To read alsoFederer and Nadal hope that Peng Shuai "is well"

The WTA, the body that oversees the women's professional circuit, has threatened to withdraw from China if President Xi Jinping's regime does not shed light on the player's accusations.

The case remains taboo in China in the media and social networks.

The MeToo campaign against sexual harassment is in its infancy in China and has so far not reached Communist power officials.