A short moment, a few minutes, the empire has been on the defensive. A small young woman challenged “the party”. The very masculine Chinese direction had to worry. We do not take over one of its members, especially when it comes to privacy. State secret. The image is regularly sanctioned by Xi Jinping, a leader who, no one doubts, has only a concern: China’s grandeur.
The story of Peng Shuai looks like one of these popular tales, as there are surely in China, where the weak attacks the powerful without knowing out what will be the end. In many ways, this story is exemplary from China of President XI. She illustrates the paradoxes of the “Chinese model” – and, incidentally, she says something about today’s professional tennis.
Recall of the facts. On November 2, on his account Weibo, Peng Shuai, 35, who took the first ten places of global tennis, accuses one of the great briefs of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC), today retired, sexual assault . If it does not have a “evidence” to bring, it ensures no longer be able to keep for it a story that haunts her. Its post remains ten minutes online before being censored, but it has been the subject of many screenshots: the text of the young woman does not go unnoticed abroad.
summed to react
Two weeks during, we do not know anything anymore. Assigned to residence? Questioned by the police? The middle of tennis is worried. The greatest champions, women and men, ask for news. Chinese power is summoned to react. It does not usually give in to the external pressure. Only, the Olympic Games (OJ) Winter 2022, housed by China, are in two months.
So, no doubt piloted and staged, news arrived, mid-November: a written message then Peng Shuai’s filmed clips, finally a conversation of the former champion with Thomas Bach, the German who presides The International Olympic Committee (IOC). Message thus relayed: Peng Shuai is fine, she’s at home, she would like to leave her alone …
Whatever we think of these “testimonials”, a fact is there: the CCP had to answer. He could not ignore the external pressure. He went from the reputation of China-Grand-Country-Open-on-the outside, its superpower image welcoming some of the most important sports events of the century. No question of risking sports boycott, the Olympics are approaching.
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