Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC and now we're going to talk about sports. No, not like Max Scherzer coming to the Mets or anything like that. This is sports and human rights, sports, and authoritarianism. Maybe you heard the story of the Chinese tennis star who has all but disappeared, Peng Shuai is a two-time grand slam doubles champion. In the last month, she's become a public face of both the Me Too movement in China and life under an authoritarian regime.

Accusing a top Chinese leader of abuse seems to have put her life into a downward spiral. Since then Shuai has virtually vanished from the internet in China and she hasn't really been seen in public. Right now all eyes are on the big sports organizations, the International Olympic Committee, and the Women's Tennis Association to see how they'll respond over concerns over the safety of one of their players, and also the larger implications for others who might find themselves in similar positions.

With me now, Liz Clarke sports writer at the Washington Post. Hi Liz, welcome back to WNYC.

Liz Clarke: Thanks so much for having me Brian and broaching this important set of issues.

Brian Lehrer: Can you start by telling everybody a little bit about the athlete at the center of this story, Peng Shuai? Who is she and what was her reputation as a player in China and around the world prior to all this?

Liz Clarke: Yes. She was or is a former world number one doubles player. She's now 35, lives in China. China of course embraces all its championed athletes, but she is, quite revered for her accomplishments.

Brian Lehrer: What allegations has-- Go ahead, no go ahead and finish Liz, I'm sorry.

Liz Clarke: She's also a three-time Olympian. She had a very high profile as an Olympian, which makes the IOC role here relevant for another level, but yes. Go ahead.

Brian Lehrer: What allegations has she made against whom, specifically that led to this turning point in her life?

Liz Clarke: On November 2nd, she made a post on China's version of the internet a very heartfelt revealing posts that she had been sexually assaulted by a former vice-premier of China, a very significant leader in the communist party years prior. I believe he's now 75. Then she acknowledged that what followed was an off-and-on consensual relationship, but she felt very much a victim and she wanted the world to know.

Within hours her post disappeared from the Chinese version of the internet and she effectively disappeared. The world went nearly three weeks without any sign of her and the signs since then have all been under the auspices of the government.

Brian Lehrer: She did reappear, as I understand it in two short video calls with the International Olympic Committee. What did she say in those appearances and what do you take them to mean?

Liz Clarke: The first sign of life to put it bluntly were photos that the Chinese government issued showing her having dinner with friends. Then they shared a statement attributed to Peng Shuai, in which she recanted her allegation and said there was no need to worry, she was fine. Obviously, the WTA and human rights groups experienced in dealing with issues in China were rightfully skeptical that she was in fact speaking and that she was speaking of her own free will without duress.

The first call with Thomas Bach followed the day after the Women's Tennis Association threatened to pull its tournaments from the country over ongoing concerns about her wellbeing, and an unanswered demand that an investigation be taken into her claims. It was just images of her on this video call and Thomas Bach saying he took from their conversation that she was fine. The second call is the IOC just said, I believe it was yesterday that there had been a second call that was not shared. The IOC's summary of it or explanation for their own stance, which has not at all been confrontational with China has been that the IOC is pursuing what they call quiet diplomacy on this.

Brian Lehrer: Different from the Women's Tennis Association, which has suspended tournaments in China in response to Shuai's disappearance. The International Olympic Committee and the Women's Tennis Association playing good cop bad cop with China, or are they at odds with each other and maybe taken together not working in her interest?

Liz Clarke: Boy, that's an interesting set of questions. I don't think there's any coordination with any greater aim. I think these are two very powerful global sporting organizations, the IOC being supremely powerful that are pursuing what they believe is the proper course. The WTA in announcing it will suspend all its events from China is the first global organization to push back against China's authoritarian rule.

Steve Simon, the WTA's CEO has said they are doing this for moral, for ethical reasons. He hearkened back to the founding of the Women's Tennis Association roughly 50 years ago. He said he can't in good faith ask its athletes to compete there without an assurance of safety.

Brian Lehrer: There are financial sacrifices, I'm guessing that some of the women's tennis players are needing to make in order to take the stance along with the WTA, correct?

Liz Clarke: Yes. The WTA stands to lose hundreds of millions. They are heavily invested in China. This began with the 2008 summer Olympics when the China market, roughly four times as big as the US 1.4 billion people, effectively open to all sorts of sporting leagues.

It became a real financial growth opportunity for whether it was the NBA, tennis, formula one, all sorts of, and as well as businesses. There was a rush to do business, to forge business partnerships in China. The WTA has one of its three global headquarters in Beijing. They have nine tournaments in China, more than people might realize. They have a lot of skin in the game here. There's a lot at stake. It's not a smoke and mirrors to pull out of, China's big.

Brian Lehrer: Listeners, we've got about five minutes for phone calls. If anybody wants to call in on the Peng Shuai situation, where the comment or a question for Liz Clarke a sportswriter for the Washington Post (212)-433 WNYC (212)-433-9692, or tweet at Brian Lehrer. Liz, where's the Men's Tennis Association? I haven't seen them in the news. Are they backing up their colleagues and pulling out of China as well?

Liz Clarke: No, and that's a great question and I also defaulted on the IOC, but I didn't answer that properly, but to the men's tennis tour, the ATP, it was yesterday that they issued a statement. They got as much criticism for the statement as praise because it didn't say a whole lot. They did not give any indication that they too will pull out of China. They said they are monitoring the situation and they express concern for Peng Shuai's safety that they're monitoring the situation.

Both Andy Roddick, former world number one, and Martina Navratilova were in the forefront criticizing the ATP is just too weak. Why are you not standing up more forcefully? The IOC has gotten a boatload of criticism for its stance of basically lending its gravitas. Its position, it's very powerful position in the world to give the Chinese government cover to say that Peng Shuai appears fine, and have this interview without asking, can you travel freely?

Can you not speak without government monitoring? Are you feeling threatened? None of the hard questions were asked and of course, it's China that will host the upcoming winter Olympics in two months, so that's the investment that the IOC is protecting.

Brian Lehrer: That the IOC has. There's a history if we're going to praise the Women's Tennis Association for putting cash of their members. These players in effect as members of the association putting some of their own income on the line in supportive Peng Shuai and how courageous that is, the context is the IOC to be sure. As you know, remember there was that Houston Rockets, general manager from the NBA tweeted in support of pro-democracy demonstrators in Hong Kong, and then the NBA went into damage control and actually issued apologies for that to China.

Liz Clarke: Excellent point. Yes, that was a case when another powerful sporting organization did not really stand tall on behalf of freedom of speech and got a lot of criticism, both domestically, and I think globally for appearing to cave to the pushback from China over the executives support of pro-democracy activists.

Brian Lehrer: Catherine in Richfield, Connecticut, you're on WNYC. Hi, Catherine.

Catherine: Hi, I'm calling just to say that I was so surprised but so thrilled that the Women's Tennis Association actually took such a strong stand. I've been so embarrassed for the NBA and other organizations that refuse to get out of China or to at least stand up to them. I was just thrilled to see that, and I was wondering the thoughts on maybe this being the catalyst to getting out of Beijing for the Olympics and I was just wondering your thoughts?

Brian: Thank you, Liz.

Liz Clarke: The issue-- first of all, that's just a beautiful comment. It's Brian's show, so it's not for me to say, but I'm very touched by your words.

Brian Lehrer: That was just a beautiful comment, Catherine.

Liz Clarke: [laughs] As it relates to the Olympics, there is discussion both in our country, and I believe other countries overseas about whether to hold a diplomatic boycott. The goal there would be, do not harm the athletes, don't make Olympic athletes pay for this, but express displeasure with China's policies as it relates to human rights. This was under discussion by the Biden administration before the Peng Shuai episode related to the treatment of the leaders in Northwestern China ethnic minorities and other human rights abuses. A diplomatic boycott would mean no attendance had opening or closing ceremonies by US officials to express displeasure that way.

I do think to your broader point, the WTA forceful action could be a paradigm shift, could change the way that major corporations' major sporting industries think about the risk-rewards or the pros and cons of doing business in China. Taking advantage of that huge market of 1.4 billion people. They want to be there because the cash is so compelling, but are you running the risk of appearing to condone crimes against humanity or look the other way?

Brian Lehrer: In our last 30 seconds, is there any indication that the public scrutiny, in this case, is putting pressure on the Chinese Communist Party to let Shuai return to public life?

Liz Clarke: Boy, not that I have seen. There are no mentions of her domestically that she's still not in the conversation. I don't know that China has felt pressure to date. I'm not sure that it will and we sadly know what a short attention span the world has. Very soon the torch is going to be running through China and NBC is all on board to broadcast the Olympics in two months' time. I think they are focused entirely on staging grand games.

That's part of China's stated mission to become a global sporting power. It's a big deal to host two Olympics in 14 years. I think they're the first country to do so, the IOC is giving China the world's attention for winter games. I think seems to be the thinking is Peng Shuai her narrative will be subsumed by this Olympic excitement.

Brian Lehrer: We will see if it's subsumed or if the United States and other countries step up, even if they are attending the Olympics to do something that brings more pressure to bear in the case of a tennis player, Peng Shuai, we have to leave it there with Liz Clarke, sports writer at the Washington Post. Thank you so much for elevating this issue for our listeners.

Liz Clarke: Thank you, Brian.

Copyright © 2021 New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use at www.wnyc.org for further information.

New York Public Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline, often by contractors. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of New York Public Radio’s programming is the audio record.