Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates: https://t.me/mothershipsg

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai recently took to social media site Weibo to accuse former vice premier Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault during what she claimed was years of an on-and-off extra-marital relationship, according to Bloomberg. 

Unverified post from Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, taken down from Weibo within minutes, in which she claims (again unverified) that she was assaulted by former Vice premier Zhang Gaoli, before willingly becoming his mistress. Highest public #MeToo allegation in China pic.twitter.com/lPU8fQ9vbx

— Emily Feng 冯哲芸 (@EmilyZFeng) November 2, 2021

Post taken down within minutes

The 35-year-old's explosive post on Nov. 2 was censored "within minutes".

A search on Weibo for her name revealed posts that were unrelated to her accusation, with the newest post being a September entry on a training camp for kids that's run by her coach.

As for Zhang, a search for his name only threw up posts that were dated 2018 and back.

Netizens resorted to using hashtags such as "tennis" and "melon" (meaning drama) to discuss Peng's account of events, NPR reported.

Media outlets and commentators have since referred to Peng's revelations as part of the #MeToo movement in China. The #MeToo movement is a social movement against sexual abuse and harassment, where people voice their allegations of sex-related crimes.

Peng's Weibo account reportedly disappeared hours after she posted the accusations, though screenshots of her post have been making its rounds on Twitter.

The 75-year-old Zhang is a retired politician who was once in the upper echelons of the CCP leadership, being a former member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s politburo, which is China's top decision-making body.

Peng's accusations are reportedly the first of such against a senior level official of the CCP.

Peng's accusations

In the now deleted post, Peng recounted the interactions that she had with Zhang over the years, and alleged that the sexual assault first took place "over 10 years ago in Tianjin".

According to Peng, the extra-marital affair initially halted seven years ago, when Zhang was appointed as a member of the CCP's politburo and moved to Beijing.

But when the former vice premier retired "about three years ago", he allegedly reached out to Peng again and "forced" her to have sexual intercourse with him at his home after a session of tennis, Peng wrote in her post.

The athlete said she was "very scared" that afternoon, adding that she "did not give consent" and was crying the whole time.

She also recalled that there was "one person guarding the door" at the time the assault took place.

The affair appeared to have carried on after that afternoon, and Peng said that she was on the receiving end of "much injustices and humiliation", primarily from Zhang's wife.

Peng said she wanted to "reveal the truth"

The final straw that prompted Peng to go public with the accusations seemed to be a "huge disagreement on the night of Oct. 30", though she did not elaborate on the "disagreement" in her post.

According to Peng, Zhang initially said he wanted to "talk things out" but later put the meeting off with "excuses".

The athlete further added that she did not have any evidence about their relationship, but she wanted to "reveal the truth", even if it seemed like "hitting the rock with an egg" and "destroying herself" in due course.

Sensitive political timing

Peng's allegations came at a "politically sensitive" time, just a few days prior to the CCP elites' meeting in Beijing -- due to be held from Nov. 8 to Nov. 11 -- which is expected to pave the way for Chinese President Xi Jinping's third term as president, according to CNN.

Having removed the two-term limit, Xi is "widely expected" to be elected for an unprecedented third term as China's president next year, Reuters reported.

#MeToo movement in China

Although the #MeToo movement has gained traction over the years internationally, the movement's progression is relatively slower in China due to censorship from the authorities, the New York Times reported.

While online discussion around celebrity Kris Wu's rape allegations were allowed to gain "huge traction" on social media, all traces of Peng's accusations against Zhang has been censored on Weibo, according to CNN.

On Sep. 15, a "landmark sexual harassment case" against one of China's most famous TV hosts, Zhu Jun, was thrown out of court due to insufficient evidence, the BBC reported.

The three-year-long lawsuit began in 2018 after Zhou Xiaoxuan, or better known as Xianzi on the internet, went public with allegations that Zhu had sexually harassed her when she was a 21-year-old intern.

Zhu has reportedly countered Xianzi with a defamation lawsuit, accusing her of damaging his reputation and mental well-being.

Related story:

Follow and listen to our podcast here

Top image by Feng Li & New York Post via Getty Images