LOOKS SUSPICIOUS

Did China Fake ‘Everything Is Fine’ Letter From Tennis Star Who Vanished After Sex Assault Allegation?

Peng Shuai vanished two weeks ago after she made sexual-assault allegations against a top Chinese government official.

The head of the Women’s Tennis Association has said that he’s struggling to believe that a letter released by Chinese state media but supposedly written by missing tennis star Peng Shuai is genuine. Peng vanished two weeks ago after she made sexual assault allegations against the top Chinese government official, former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli. On Wednesday, the state-owned CGTN network tweeted an email that it claimed was from Peng. It said the assault allegation was “not true,” and added: “I’m not missing, nor am I unsafe. I’ve just been resting at home and everything is fine.” Steve Simon, chairman of the WTA, said the message “only raises” his concerns the tennis star’s safety, and added: “I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or believes what is being attributed to her.” Some reporters have pointed out that a typing cursor can be seen in the screenshot of the email published by CGTN, suggesting it was a draft document and not an email.