Chinese Censorship in Overdrive After Tennis Star Accuses Ex-Top Leader of Sexual Assault
A top Chinese tennis player has made shocking allegations of sexual assault by a former leader, the first time a senior member of the ruling Communist Party was accused of sexual misconduct since the start of a budding #MeToo movement in the country.
Peng Shuai, a former Wimbledon doubles champion, alleged on Tuesday night she was coerced into having sex with ex-Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli three years ago. The claims, which have not been corroborated, were posted on her verified account on the microblogging site Weibo. Peng is currently 35 years old, and Zhang, who retired in 2018, is 75 and married.
The explosive allegations were swiftly deleted by Weibo before midnight on Tuesday, and screenshots were censored on various Chinese platforms. Social media sites now forbid users from commenting on posts containing the names of Peng and Zhang. Weibo suspended its tennis fan forum.
Some internet users managed to read Peng’s post by circumventing the Great Firewall, and tried to spread the message with euphemisms and emojis.
But even oblique references to the case have been removed. Movie review site Douban took down the page of Korean drama Prime Minister and I, after the title was used to refer to Peng’s allegations.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/bvn8b5/china-tennis-metoo-peng-shuai