A popular Chinese tennis player is being accused of sexual assault by a retired senior Chinese Communist Party leader. It was allegedly committed in June in Taiwan.
After winning her first set in women’s singles, Peng Shuai of China was presented with a bouquet of flowers from Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen, according to Reuters.
She was also honored at a ceremony by the Taiwan Fine Arts Festival in Taipei on June 21 and received an invitation to the closing ceremony of the tournament on June 29. Peng flew in to attend but didn’t make it into the ceremony.
PHOTOS: Check out some of Peng Shuai’s racquetball events in the past year.
Peng’s boycott came after two Taiwanese women allegedly accused her of sexual assault at an after-party on June 15, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency. One of the women said Peng tried to kiss her.
Taiwan’s former CPC Secretary-General Lu Tianxiao has denied the claims, according to Reuters. Lu was deputy chairman of the People’s Democratic Party for over three decades and served under President Ma Ying-jeou from 2004 to 2016.
Lu joined the CCP in 1978 and never publicly disclosed any personal and family connections to the military in his statement, the agency said.
Earlier this week, journalist Chen Jianbin said he also was assaulted by Peng at the after-party.
Peng has won three Grand Slam titles, including two in 2016. She reached No. 12 in the world in 2011.