Almost exactly a month back, writing on her verified handle on Weibo, China's version of Twitter, tennis star Peng Shuai, alleged that Zhang Gaoli, a former vice-premier of China and influential Communist Party of China (CPC) leader, sexually assaulted her. Within hours, the message was deleted and anything related to her was scrubbed from the Chinese internet. Peng also went silent for weeks, raising concerns from the world's tennis players and the tennis association. (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/tennis-star-peng-shuai-levels-sexual-assault-allegation-ex-chinese-off-rcna4533)

After the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) condemned the "censorship" on Peng, and threatened not to do any "business" with China, the Communist government gave video access to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to speak to Peng. This was after the IOC, which coordinates closely with Beijing for Winter Olympics next year, refused to comment on Peng saying that "quiet diplomacy" offered the best opportunity to find a "solution for questions." (https://www.newsweek.com/ioc-wont-comment-peng-shuais-disappearance-says-quiet-diplomacy-best-solution-1651258)

The video call involving Peng and Thomas Bach, the I.O.C. president, has failed to cut much ice with the world. While the IOC has come to a "unanimous conclusion" that Peng was "fine," there are few takers. (https://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/01/tennis/peng-shuai-pound-intl-spt/index.html)

This, even after what appeared to be stage-managed videos of Peng attending a few events in China where is she is shown in good spirits. Peng purportedly also wrote a mail to the WTA claiming that she was fine and that the Weibo post was not hers. But even that fell short of convincing the world. Tennis star Serena Williams joined the chorus asking the whereabouts of Peng. (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/nov/18/serena-williams-joins-chorus-of-concern-over-whereabouts-of-peng-shuai)

That the world has no confidence in China's attempts to project normalcy is evident from the WTA's latest move. All tournaments under it in China and Hong Kong will be suspended unless China comes clean on Peng. (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/dec/01/wta-suspends-tournaments-china-peng-shuai-tennis)

The Chinese media is entirely silent on the issue. A search of almost all the Chinese news sites for Peng throws up only old stories about her exploits on the tennis court.

Read more:

EU wants "verifiable proof" on Peng:
https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/eu-verifiable-proof-chinese-tennis-player-safe-81465946

Even some IOC members are not convinced:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/nov/30/olympic-official-rejects-peng-shuai-video-call-criticism-as-silly