Emma Hammack 4/14/23
Peng Shuai is a famous female tennis player from China, with three olympic gold wins and twenty-five tour titles. On November 2, 2021 she posted on a chinese social media app similar to twitter that China’s former vice-premier sexually assaulted her. Twenty minutes later the post was taken down and Shaui’s name was blocked from search engines. Then Shuai wasn’t seen for two weeks; she disappeared. In response to this other women tennis players called out on social media #whereispengshuai. The Chinese government reported to the news that she was resting at home with family, but no one had received any message from Shuai herself.
The Chinese government continued to send out messages that Shuai was fine and needed rest, but the rest of the world kept asking and institing on an investigation. About two weeks later Peng Shuai posted a message to her followers that was very bland and seemed scripted saying the post was a misunderstanding and none of it was true; Many speculate she was forced to post this by the Chinese government. On November 21st the WTA decided to pull out of China as a boycott even though they had invested millions of dollars into tournaments there.
Since then Peng Shuai has announced her retirement and posted more messages and videos from her home in Beijing, which again repeat the same basic message that she is ok and spending time with family. The WTA and other organizations not affiliated with the Chinese government to this day have not been able to talk to her directly only through Chinese reporters and government officials.
All censoring does is cause harm. The Chinese government is a communist country and censors everything the press puts out and watches everything people post. The Chinese government has most likely censored everything Peng Shuai does. They are controlling her for calling out a government official who sexualled assaulted her; they're silencing her.
We cannot stop talking about what happened to Peng Shuai because she cannot talk about it. How long has China been silencing and hiding crimes like this? How long until it will stop? Many human rights activists, athletes and the WTA called for an investigation that was never done. Peng Shuai will most likely never see justice. When will all women be treated equally? Shuai’s story needs to be continually talked about because if we all forget and go silent the Chinese government will have succeeded in silencing her and everyone involved.
The WTA has decided to move tournaments back to China because their efforts of a boycott and wanting of an investigation lead nowhere. The WTA was losing money and conveniently the zero-covid policy in China was recently changed. By going back to China the WTA has left Shuai’s side and turned their back on part of their values system. On their website you can find this quote that WTA uses to describe what they stand for, “We exist to champion women to compete fiercely and live fully. We Empower. We Bring Together” by going back to China without an investigation of Shuai’s assault they are not bringing her together with them, they are not empowering her and she cannot live fully being silenced and controlled by the Chinese government.
We must speak out and we must keep asking about Peng Shuai.
Works Cited
Bansinath, Bindu. “What We Know about the Disappearance of Peng Shuai.” The Cut, 8 Feb. 2022, https://www.thecut.com/2022/02/the-disappearance-of-peng-shuai-what-we-know.html.
Fendrich | AP, Howard. “Women's Tennis Tour Ends Peng Shuai-Inspired China Boycott.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 13 Apr. 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/tennis/2023/04/13/peng-shuai-wta-china-boycott-missing/3d58cb40-d9f9-11ed-aebd-3fd2ac4c460a_story.html.
“Steve Simon Announces WTA's Decision to Suspend Tournaments in China.” Women's Tennis Association, 3 Dec. 2021, https://www.wtatennis.com/news/2384758/steve-simon-announces-wta-s-decision-to-suspend-tournaments-in-china.
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