A sentence that is said to be a confession of Peng Shuai, a top Chinese female tennis player, has been published online, and the news is attracting a lot of attention every day.
The content is that "the former Deputy Prime Minister of China forced sexual relations", and it has also developed into issues regarding the safety of athletes and the pros and cons of hosting the Beijing Olympics.
We will summarize the history and points of interest so far and explain in detail.
Why are you so interested?
One is the scandal involving the highest leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.
This time, Peng Shuai named former Deputy Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli.
From 2012 to 2017, he was a member of the Political Bureau Standing Committee, the highest leadership of the Communist Party.
The Political Bureau Standing Committee is currently the highest decision-making body in China, consisting of seven members, including the top President Xi Jinping (General Secretary).
The detailed movements of the members and internal remarks have been treated as confidential, and even in the mysterious Chinese politics, it has been regarded as a "sanctuary in the sanctuary."
I don't know the truth of the post, but the fact that the member's scandal has become public is perceived as an unprecedented event.
The other is the suspicion of coercion of sexual relations by a powerful person.
It has also been pointed out that the post may have been made by Peng himself, who was worried about his relationship with the former Deputy Prime Minister.
For this reason, Peng's actions have been widely reported in overseas media, etc. in the form of being associated with the "#MeToo" movement, which calls for the eradication of sexual harassment and sexual damage.
What is Peng's confession?
The confession is a sentence that Peng posted on November 2nd on China's SNS Weibo.
Here are some excerpts from sentences that exceed 1600 characters in Chinese.
After the post was discovered, there were a series of voices concerned about their safety, saying that they could not contact Peng.
"I know I can't say it well. I can't help but I want to say it. // About three years ago, Deputy Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli retired and contacted me again through a person at the Tianjin Tennis Center. I've been playing tennis together in Beijing. After playing tennis in the morning, you and your wife took me to your house. At that time, you pulled me into the room, ten years ago. I had a sexual relationship with me as I did in Tianjin. // I was very scared that afternoon. I never thought I would be like that. // Seven years ago we were sexual. After that, you were promoted to the Politburo Standing Committee and went to Beijing and lost contact with me. I kept everything in my heart. You didn't try to take responsibility. But why did you contact me again, and why did you take me home and press for a relationship? // That afternoon, I didn't agree at all, so I was crying all the time. // I'm incredibly miserable. I always asked myself, "Am I a human?"
I also felt like I was a walking corpse.
// High-ranking Deputy Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli said he was not afraid.
But I, even if the eggs even if hit by a stone, even if self-defeating become a moth entering flew to fire, reveal the fact that there was between you "
※ have extracted point only, // omitted portions Notated in.
What kind of person is Peng?
According to the WTA = Women's Tennis Association, the organization that controls women's professional tennis around the world, Peng is 35 years old from Hunan Province.
In 2013, he won the women's doubles at the Wimbledon Championship, the four major tennis tournaments, and in 2014, he won the women's doubles at the French Open at the same four major tournaments.
He also represented China in three Olympics, Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro.
The text allegedly posted by the star player was deleted on the Chinese internet and became unsearchable, but in a blink of an eye it spread all over the world and ripples spread.
Does the timing of posting make sense?
It was posted just before the important Communist Party meeting "6 Chuzenkai".
For President Xi, just before the 6th General Assembly was a politically important time for the adoption of his own-led "History Resolution."
President Xi is said to have used this resolution as a momentum to further solidify his power base.
Professor Ichiro Kobuki of Kanda University of International Studies, who is familiar with the situation in China, said, "Former Deputy Prime Minister Zhang Gaoli is a person who has a close relationship with former President Jiang Zemin and is a hostile faction from President Xi. , The threat to such forces will be important, "he said, and while there is growing observation that President Xi will enter an unusual third term as the party's top at next year's party convention, it is analyzed that personnel affairs within the party may have been involved. doing.
Where is Peng?
What is the reaction of China?
When the world's top players such as WTA and Naomi Osaka began to raise concerns about the safety of Peng, it is said that Peng wrote to WTA not by himself but by the Chinese state media. I published an English email on Twitter and said, "It's safe."
However, on the Internet, there were a series of voices such as "Why can't the person send the message?" And doubts about the authenticity of the posted content.
The WTA also issued a statement, stressing that "only concerns about her safety and whereabouts have increased. It's hard to believe she actually wrote the email."
The top of the WTA said he would not hesitate to hold a tournament in China without proper investigation.
A spokesman for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights also called for a transparent investigation, and the U.S. government also called on China to show evidence of Peng's whereabouts and safety. In the form of anointed oil.
Then, on November 20, the editor-in-chief of the Chinese Communist Party media "Global Times" introduced a picture of Peng's recent appearance on Twitter.
The next day, Peng attended a video of having dinner with his coach and friends at a Sichuan restaurant in Beijing, and a junior player's tennis tournament ceremony in Beijing. Post a video.
Another reporter from Global Times posted a video saying that Peng responded to the sign with a smile at the venue of the tournament.
It seems that the series of posts was aimed at calming the situation through transmissions from influential Communist Party media officials.
Is Peng free?
I don't know if I'm completely free to work.
After the video was posted, the WTA issued a statement saying, "It's nice to see Peng, but she's free, free from pressure and interference, and makes decisions and acts on her own initiative. It's still unclear if we can do it. This video isn't enough and we're still worried about Peng's health and safety. "
Why did IOC President Bach suddenly meet with Peng online?
This is because the problem has begun to develop into a situation where there are concerns about the impact on the Beijing Olympics in the winter, which is approaching February next year.
"I don't think the event will be canceled, but I don't know what's going on," said the oldest IOC executive, recognizing that it could affect the outcome of the tournament, as well as US President Joe Biden. , Has revealed that it is considering a "diplomatic boycott" that does not dispatch government officials other than the team because of the human rights situation in China.
The Beijing Olympics is a national prestige project for Xi Jinping's leadership to promote recovery from the new coronavirus.
It's easy to imagine that I was nervous about the growing international debate over the pros and cons of the event.
IOC President Bach had a 30-minute videophone dialogue with Peng on November 21, and the IOC announced that Peng lived and was safe at his home in Beijing.
It seems that the background of the dialogue between Chairman Bach was to show the world that "China and the IOC are in step toward the success of the Olympic Games," but "Mr. Bach was used by China." Isn't it just? "
How does the Chinese side take this issue?
From the beginning, China has been nervous about this issue, and while actively disseminating information such as distributing videos overseas, it seems that coverage is restricted in mainland China.
The photos and videos of Peng reported by the Communist Party media were all sent in English on Twitter.
Since the use of Twitter is restricted in China and generally cannot be seen by the public, it seems that it was only sent overseas.
The news of Peng, which was reported by NHK's overseas TV broadcast, was also cut off, making it impossible to watch in China.
China wants to end the curtain early.
A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said at a press conference, "Some people want to stop malicious publicity and not make it a political issue," and are nervous about the expansion.
Will you be able to hear the explanation that leads to the truth directly from Peng in the future?
And it's also important to see if a highly transparent survey will be conducted.