In China, party leaders of Zhangs rank are beyond reproach from members of the general public, and it would be almost unthinkable that a sexual assault allegation could bring down a top leader. Zhangs name is not completely censored on social media like Pengs, but there are no recent posts about him, suggesting potential deletions. I was very scared that afternoon, I didn't expect it to happen like this, with a guard outside the door, because it was impossible to make believe that your wife would agree to such a thing. There was no farewell announcement his name was simply not among those listed on the PSC after the central committees first meeting the following year. All the while, Zhang has remained completely outside of public view, and he has not issued any response to the accusation. At Furnel, Inc. our goal is to find new ways to support our customers with innovative design concepts thus reducing costs and increasing product quality and reliability. Peng said she did not have evidence to prove her allegations, and claimed Zhang was always worried that she would record things. Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life. But his low-key personality belied a tremendous power. Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, you said you were not afraid. In a sign of the unprecedented level of censorship, even a Weibo discussion page about tennis was closed for comments. Zhang Gaoli, who turns 75 this month, was accused by the former Olympian in a Nov. 2 social media post of coercing her into sex three years ago. Since then, Chinese censors have been diligently scrubbing her name and even the vaguest references to her allegations from the internet. He also has an adopted daughter Zhang Xiaoyan (), who is the biological daughter of his cousin. Typically, accusations of sexual misconduct by officials are only mentioned after an investigation for political or economic crimes, almost added as an aggravating factor. "If he denies, he won't be credible, because as a result of Xi's anti-corruption campaign, now everyone in China knows it is common for Chinese officials to use power for sex," Chen said. About three years ago you, Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, retired and asked Dr. Liu, from the Tianjin Tennis Center, to contact me to arrange a tennis match with me at the Kangming Hotel in Beijing. In 1965, Zhang entered Xiamen University to study economics. Learn about all of the latest news in the section below. The authorities have charged government officials with sexual misconduct before. Peng said she googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1518226592045-0'); }); googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1518226653270-0'); }); TEPCO to review quake resistance of damaged base in nuke reactor, Surfers come to rescue after 32 beached dolphins found in Chiba, Study: Fish can recognize their faces in mirrors, photographs. Her lengthy post, published shortly after 10 p.m. on Tuesday, was deleted in under 30 minutes. What Happened To Chef Matt Abe Face? I am even more convinced that someone may have put some pressure on Peng Shuai, asking her to come forward and blew up the abnormal relationship between Zhang Gaoli and Zhang Gaolis wife Kang Jie. Zhang eventually rose through the ranks to become the party boss of the oil company, and started his political career from there. The two-time Grand Slam doubles champion also alleged a relationship with Zhang over an intermittent period that spanned at least a decade. The name of Zhang Gaolis wife, Kang Jie, was not sensitive before the incident. He also served in roles such as the head of the coordination agency in charge of developing the Pearl River Delta and also the head of the provincial planning agency. Sheconfessed on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, that the former VP forced her into sex. However, screenshots of a since-deleted post have been circulating all over social media. Yes, I did not have any evidence, and it was simply impossible to have evidence, she wrote. To what extent I feel hypocritical. Pengs now-deleted Weibo post alleged that while Zhang was having sex with her in a room on one occasion, his wife Kang Jie stood guarding the door. But this is the first time it has reached the very upper echelons of the Communist Party. Zhang, 75, was accused earlier this month by Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, 35, of sexual assault at his home after he retired three years ago. Carlos Alcaraz also congratulates Jannik Sinner on social media! There is no sign of an investigation by police or any other authority into Pengs claims. Bach, the IOC president who has been photographed with Zhang on at least one occasion, held a video call with Peng under the close watch of a Chinese sports official, during which the three-time Olympian insisted she is safe and well and wanted to have her privacy respected.. Please. [6] He was also said to have frequently visited and tended to the needs of party veteran Xi Zhongxun, the father of Xi Jinping. After spending a cent of Zhang Gaolis money without seeking any benefits, then the conversation changed, saying that Zhang Gaolis wife Kang Jie was the bitter and vicious Queen in The Legend of Zhen Huan. In 1993, at age 47, he made it onto the provincial Party Standing Committee, becoming one of the top leaders of the province. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. But even if its just me, like an egg hitting the stone, a moth flying into flames, courting self-destruction, I would tell the truth about us, she wrote. In the post, which reads as an open letter to Zhang, she alleges a relationship over an intermittent period that spanned at least 10 years. Zhang is a practising Buddhist and a member of the Taiwanese Buddhist organisation Dharma Drum Mountain. While indiscretion in private life is still prevalent among officials, it is a different matter when it is thrust into the public view.. Zhang, 75, was accused earlier this month by Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, 35, of sexual assault at his home after he retired three years ago. [21], Peng's post was censored shortly after she made the accusation, and any searches or posts about the topic, even as broad as "tennis", were blocked or removed. [citation needed].

From 2013 to 2018, he was the Peoples Republic of Chinas Senior Vice President. His last public appearance was in July, sitting among official attenders at the centenary celebrations of the CCP. All rights reserved. But Zhang broke off contact after he was promoted to the Politburo Standing Committee in Beijing, according to the post. [15][18][19][20] Peng also said that during the incident another person "stood guard" outside the bedroom door. In China, top leaders of Zhangs standing remain unapproachable and private even after retirement, which makes reaching him to comment for this story virtually impossible. The Asahi Shimbun aims to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls through its Gender Equality Declaration. Peng said she then began an extramarital relationship with Zhang, but she suffered too much injustice and insults. She claimed they got into a quarrel in late October, and Zhang refused to meet her and disappeared. she wrote. Their biological son was born in 1989. The couple have a son. In the ensuing three decades, Zhang continued his rise. The pair met while working in the oil company in Maoming. In fact, the WTA has decided, in support of the Chinese tennis player, to cancel all the tournaments in China scheduled for 2022. The platform was criticized for opening the door for "social crooks" to conduct financial fraud, causing hundreds of thousands of investors across China to be defrauded, with tens of billions of yuan at stake.[8]. Webnigel williams editor // plus grand lycee francais a l'etranger. This article about a Chinese film director is a stub. By 1988, he became Vice Governor of Guangdong. Li Shengpos wife Zhang Xiaoyan is the adopted daughter of Zhang Gaoli. After everything you've done in this life, will you be able to look them in the face with a clear conscience? Poppy Sebag-Montefiore investigates her disappearance and the silencing of Chinas #MeToo movement Why She said that soon after Zhang retired, he got in touch again through a sports doctor and rekindled the relationship. As of 2013, he is serving his nation as a Junior Officer in the army. All rights reserved. Chinese actor and film director (born 1955), In 2010, the list started to include Chinese celebrities born in, Golden Eagle Award (China) for Best Actor in a Television Series, Flying Apsaras Award for Outstanding Actor, Magnolia Award for Best Actor in a Television Series, Shanghai Film Critics Award for Best Actor, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Zhang_Guoli&oldid=1092144426, Members of the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Members of the China National Democratic Construction Association, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox person with multiple spouses, Articles containing Chinese-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 June 2022, at 12:34. Zhang, 75, was once one of Chinas most powerful politicians, sitting on the seven-member politburo standing committee (PSC) the most senior decision-making body in the Chinese Communist party (CCP) from 2013 to 2018, and as vice-premier was second in line to Li Keqiang. But when she vanished from public view for nearly three weeks, international concern for her safety was ignited, accompanied by the #WhereIsPengShuai hashtag. As with wives of most of China's political leaders, very little is known about But then, why did you come looking for me again, to take me to your house and force me to have sex with you? Tennis star Peng Shuai has accused Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault through a social media post. This was Zhang's first foray into politics. [3] He and his four siblings were raised almost single-handedly by his mother. Wig or Natural Hair Color Does He Have Cancer? After graduating in August 1970, Zhang was sent to an oil company logistics team in Maoming to work as a construction worker, stocking materials in a warehouse and moving concrete blocks.[4]. In 2014, the duo won the French Open double titles. Tennis players take on Communist Party: Where is Peng Shuai? In 1984, Zhang was named deputy party secretary of Maoming. There was nothing outstanding about him.

Even if the party does decide to take internal disciplinary action against Zhang, they wont announce it right away, but will wait for the storm to blow over first, so as to show strength, he added. Then, she vanished. Less attention has focused on Zhang, who retired in 2018 and like nearly all top Chinese leaders stays out of the public eye in retirement. Weve accepted by default that this incident will disappear form the internet the post will disappear, the account will disappear, justice will disappear; only the pain that torments the victim will not disappear, only the fear of the next victim will not disappear, said another comment. WebAbout three years ago, Zhang Gaoli vice president, you retired. [30][31], Zhang, who has not publicly commented on the matter, has been regarded by observers as now having a tattered reputation despite the government's best efforts of censorship. "Even if the party does decide to take internal disciplinary action against Zhang, they won't announce it right away, but will wait for the storm to blow over first, so as to show strength," he added. You stopped contacting me after you were promoted to Beijing. Hes a standard technocrat trained and cultivated by the Chinese Communist Party system, said Deng Yuwen, a former editor of an official party journal who now lives in the United States. (photo credit: REUTERS/KENZABURO FUKUHARA/POOL). The more shocking detail is that Zhang Gaolis wife Kang Jie knew all this, and when Zhang Gaoli sexually assaulted her again, Kang Jie was at the door. But if more and more countries join the Olympic boycott and the pressure becomes too acute, we cant entirely exclude the possibility however small that (the party) might throw Zhang under the bus, said Deng. He had no notable achievements, nor was he involved in particular scandals he had been a bland figure without any controversy.. The two-time Zhang Xiaoyan is married to Li Shengpo (), the son of Hong Kong businessman Lee Yin Yee of Xinyi Glass. Furnel, Inc. is dedicated to providing our customers with the highest quality products and services in a timely manner at a competitive price. No high-level party official has been similarly accused as Zhang. I have no proof, and it was impossible to keep any trace of what happened. Monday 24 January 2022 Chinas missing tennis player Poppy Sebag-Montefiore Our planet #XisChina In November, athlete Peng Shuai accused a senior Chinese politician of sexual assault. The swift and thorough censorship stands in stark contrast to the response to other recent high-profile #MeToo cases, such as the rape allegations against Canadian-Chinese pop star Kris Wu. Yes, we had sex. You asked Dr. Liu at the Tianjin Tennis Centre to contact me, and asked me with play tennis with you at Kang Ming Hotel in Beijing. The couple have a son. In 2012, when Xi took the helm of the party, Zhang was promoted to the Politburo Standing Committee in Beijing. Peng alleged in her Weibo post that she first met Zhang and had sex with him in Tianjin. Instead, she writes that they had conversations on many different topics. Zhang Gaoli was born to a family from Jinjiang County, Fujian. But so far, there has been no indication an investigation is underway. Zhang invited her to his home and badgered her to have sex with him. For the past three weeks, the world has been asking #WhereIsPengShuai, after the Chinese tennis star alleged on social media she was sexually assaulted by a former senior government official. Zhang Gaoli served on the Standing Committee of the Communist Party Politiburo, the country's supreme governing body, from 2012 to 2017, during the first term of Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Their biological son was born in 1989. No comments are allowed on any historical post about him. China seeks to spin Peng Shuais #MeToo allegation into an ideological dispute, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) Peng claimed in the post that she first had sex with Zhang more than 10 years ago, though she did not explain the circumstances. CNN could not reach Zhang, who served on the ruling Communist Partys seven person Politburo Standing Committee, the countrys supreme leadership body, from 2012 to 2017 during Chinese leader Xi Jinpings first term in power. [15] Peng said that she first had sex with Zhang in 2011, and that she had been in a consensual extramarital affair with him for several years, until Zhang was appointed to the PSC of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and ceased contact with Peng. Under his watch, the once run-down provincial-level metropolis southeast of Beijing became China's fastest-growing region in 2011. After we finished playing tennis, you and your wife Kang Jie brought me to While world wonders about fate of tennis star, former Chinese vice-premier has remained silent. Letting Zhang come out to speak will result in a reputational loss that it doesnt want just before the Winter Games, said Alfred Wu, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore. And obscure references to the scandal were removed, too. They have one son (born c. 1989) who was, as of 2013, serving in the army as a junior officer. Abuse Allegations & Drama. As a child, Zhang helped his family with farm work and also caught fish in a neighboring river. Zhang Gaoli, who turns 75 this month, was accused by the former Olympian in a Nov. 2 social media post of coercing her into sex three years ago. You kept talking, trying to persuade me to let go of my mental baggage,' Peng alleges in the post. As of 2013, he is serving his nation as a Junior Officer in the army. I dont know what else can I say apart from praying shell be safe. Visit this page for the latest news on Japans battle with the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Born in 1946 into a farmers family in a small seaside village in the southeastern province of Fujian, Zhang grew up impoverished. CNN could not independently verify the authenticity of the more than 1,600-word post, and has reached out to Peng for comment, as well as Chinas State Council Information Office, which handles press inquires for the central government. The Chinese government has not commented except for the ministry of foreign affairs condemning malicious hyping. He added that the government hoped malicious speculation about Pengs well-being and whereabouts would stop, and that her case should not be politicized. Then you took me to a room and, just like in Tianjin more than ten years ago, you told me you wanted to have sex with me. Zhang's silence is consistent with how party leaders have dealt in the past with allegations ranging from corruption accusations in the Panama Papers to rumors of extramarital affairs, experts say.

And as individuals connected to Chinese state media push a narrative that Peng is well on international platforms that are blocked in China, mention of the tennis star remains entirely absent within the countrys own domestic media and online sphere. After dinner with Zhang and his wife, and following much persuading from Zhang, she relented, according to the post. In Tianjin Zhang cultivated a low-profile image. Deng, the former party journal editor, said it is virtually impossible for the Communist Party to cave in to international pressure to conduct a transparent investigation into Zhang and release the results to the world. As ranking vice premier from 2013 to 2018, he was in charge of economic matters, including President Xi Jinping's signature Belt and Road initiative, and headed a "leading small group" overseeing the Winter Olympics before handing over to current vice-premier Han Zheng in 2018. I had wanted to bury everything inside my heart. Zhang Gaolis wife, Kang Jie, has yet to respond to Peng Shuais sexual abuse allegations.

Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabledPlease check the site policy for more information. Official silence is standard procedure when a party official faces such allegations from external sources.

As with wives of most of Chinas political leaders, very little is known about Kang, including her age. Many said the call did not prove Peng was free and not subject to duress, and rights groups accused the IOC of participating in a publicity stunt and whitewashing ahead of the February Games. Peng said she [13] Li Shengpo, also referred to by his Cantonese name Lee Shing Put, has been named in association with the Panama Papers. Peng, 35, made a series of appearances over the past weekend, including a video call with International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach, but they have failed to dispel doubts among fellow athletes and global organizations over her welfare. Even though Zhang is not seen as an ally of Xis (instead, he is considered to be in the orbit of former President Jiang Zemin and his so-called Shanghai faction), publicly punishing a former elite official who worked so closely with Xi for alleged sexual misconduct would likely be considered a big embarrassment not only for the party, but also to Xi himself especially given that Xi has doubled down hard on enforcing party discipline. Zhang Gaoli, who turns 75 this Peng also alleged in her post that Zhang's wife, Kang Jie, knew about the relationship. I know that for someone of your eminence, Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, you said you were not afraid. All rights reserved. China's State Council Information Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment and has not commented on Peng's post or made Zhang available for comment. Pengs post alleged that three years ago, after Zhang had retired from the PSC, he invited her to his house to play tennis with him and his wife, after which he coerced her into sex while someone stood outside the door guarding it. The site is not far from the Great Hall of the People where six years earlier he made a solemn commitment to a successful Winter Games at the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committees launch ceremony. That certainly seemed to be the allegation from Peng Shuai, the former womens world doubles champion. We offer full engineering support and work with the best and most updated software programs for design SolidWorks and Mastercam. Peng also alleged in her post that Zhang's wife, Kang Jie, knew about the relationship. Pengs verified account, which has more than half a million followers, remains on Weibo as of Wednesday evening.

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