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18th November 2021
04:39pm GMT
"I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or believes what is being attributed to her," he said in a statement.
The email - which was written in her voice and published by the broadcaster CGTN - also claims she is not missing or unsafe, adding: "I've just been resting at home and everything is fine."Her allegations, which were soon deleted from China's internet, were made earlier this month and marked the first time that such a claim has been made against one of China's senior political leaders.
Zhang, 75, served as China's vice-premier between 2013 and 2018 and was a close ally of President Xi Jinping, and has not responded to her claims.
A number of Peng's fellow tennis stars have spoken out on the situation, with world number one male tennis player Novak Djokovic stating he was 'shocked by her disseverance', while world tennis champion Naomi Osaka also voiced concerns about her whereabouts.
"The WTA and the rest of the world need independent and verifiable proof that she is safe," WTA chair Steve Simon said on Wednesday.
He also reiterated his previous comment that her sexual assault allegation must be investigated "with full transparency and without censorship".
"The voices of women need to be heard and respected, not censored nor dictated to," he added.
Ms Peng, who has more than half a million followers on Weibo (the Chinese equivalent of Twitter), can still be found on the website, but it is not possible to write comments beneath her remaining posts anymore.Her allegation is the highest profile incident in China's#MeToo movement.
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