White House joins calls for Chinese authorities to provide proof of Peng Shuai's whereabouts, says it is "deeply concerned" by her disappearance

The White House has "joined in the calls" for Chinese authorities to provide an update on the whereabouts of missing tennis player Peng Shuai. Peng has not been heard from since making allegations of sexual assault against a former Vice-Premier of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Peng opened up about the alleged sexual assault in a social media post earlier this month. The post has since been deleted and Peng's whereabouts are unknown.

Chinese State Media recently released an email allegedly sent by Peng, which claims the allegations were untrue and that she is safe and sound. They also released a few photographs of Peng, which show her smiling with a cat in her arms, and a Chinese flag and trophies visible in the background. However, the authenticity of the email and the photographs have been called into question.

Numerous tennis stars, including Novak Djokovic, Naomi Osaka, and Serena Williams, have called for clarity on the matter, while the WTA has threatened to pull all events from China until solid proof regarding Peng's well-being is provided.

US Congressman Jim Banks had earlier written to President Joe Biden, calling for him to intervene in the matter. The White House has now released a statement, asking Chinese government officials to provide "independent and verifiable proof" of Peng Shuai's safety.

"We are deeply concerned by reports that Peng Shuai appears to be missing after accusing a former PRC senior official of sexual assault," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. "We join in the calls for PRC authorities to provide independent and verifiable proof of her whereabouts and that she is safe."

Psaki went on to stress that violence against women must be investigated and that victims must be allowed to speak out.

"I can't speak, of course, I know you're not asking this but to the details of the case or any more details of where she might be, obviously, but I want to be clear where the United States stands, generally speaking," Psaki added. "First, any report of sexual assault should be investigated, and we support a woman's ability to speak out and seek accountability, whether here or around the world."

Speaking on behalf of Joe Biden's government, Psaki highlighted that the United States is well aware of China's "zero-tolerance" policy towards criticism. She asserted that the American government would continue to "stand up" for freedom of speech.

"Second, we'll continue to stand up for the freedom of speech, and we know the PRC has zero tolerance for criticism and a record of silencing those that speak put, and we continue to condemn those practices," Jen Psaki added.

"Peng Shuai will show up in public and participate in some activities soon" - Hu Xijin

Peng Shuai at the 2017 Wuhan Open

Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party, recently took to Twitter to provide an update on Peng Shuai.

Xijin wrote that Peng stayed at home the past few days as she "did not want to be disturbed". He also insisted that the recently released photographs of the tennis star are authentic. He further revealed that Peng would make a public appearance "soon".

"I confirmed through my own sources today that these photos are indeed Peng Shuai's current state. In the past few days, she stayed in her own home freely and she didn't want to be disturbed," Xijin wrote. "She will show up in public and participate in some activities soon."