Peng Shuai: UN calls on China to prove tennis star’s whereabouts
The UN has called on Chinese authorities to give proof of the whereabouts of tennis star Peng Shuai, as the White House said it was “deeply concerned” and the Women’s Tennis Association said it was prepared to pull its tournaments out of China over the matter. Peng, a former doubles world No 1, has not been seen in public since she accused the former high-ranking official Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault on 2 November. “It would be important to have proof of her whereabouts and wellbeing and we would urge that there be an investigation with full transparency into her allegations of sexual assault,” Liz Throssell, a spokesperson for UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet, said in Geneva on Friday. White House spokesperson Jen Psaki called for the Chinese government to provide “independent, verifiable proof” of Peng’s whereabouts. Shortly after the UN call, photos purporting to show the tennis player were released by a Chinese state-affiliated journalist. Shen Shiwei revealed a set of photos,