Peng Shuai retracts sexual assault claims as fears over wellbeing persist

The Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai has denied that she had accused a former senior official of having sexually assaulted her, in what is believed to be the first foreign press interview since her November essay caused a media storm.

The claim apparently contradicted a 2 November social media post, in which Peng accused the former vice premier Zhang Gaoli of having coerced her into sex. The essay was taken down less than 30 minutes after it was published, and Peng became the centre of a global media storm after disappearing from public view for more than two weeks after the essay.

Qingqing Chen, a senior journalist at the state-owned Global Times, posted a seven-second video clip of Peng on her Twitter account.

In it, Peng is seen apparently in conversation with two other people, one of whom is the Chinese basketball player Yao Ming. Peng is shown giggling as she listens to Yao speaking. Peng is the only one of the three not wearing a face mask.

The Shanghai stop of the cross-country ski tour took place on Saturday, according to the state-run CGTN news site.

As China gears up for the Winter Olympics in February, controversies over its human rights record continue to fester. Many observers outside the country insist Peng is not genuinely free, despite attempts by state media to create this impression.