More than three years have passed since former Chinese doubles No. 1 Peng Shuai made global headlines with a shocking accusation against a high-ranking Communist Party official. In a since-deleted Weibo post from November 2021, the tennis star alleged that Zhang Gaoli, a former vice premier of China, had coerced her into a sexual act. Almost immediately, her statement disappeared from the internet, and so did she.
International outcry followed. Human rights organizations, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), and governments around the world demanded proof of Peng’s safety. In response, carefully curated appearances and scripted interviews followed, but doubts over her freedom remain. Now, the mystery deepens as even China’s latest AI chatbot, DeepSeek, refuses to comment on the situation.
China’s DeepSeek erases Peng Shuai: The case too dangerous to speak of
Fast forward to today, and the Peng Shuai case continues to be a topic China would rather forget. Even the country’s powerful AI chatbot, DeepSeek, refuses to acknowledge it.
James Gray of The Paper tested DeepSeek’s willingness to discuss the matter and was met with abrupt refusals. “Sorry, that’s beyond my current scope. Let’s talk about something else,” the AI responded when asked about Peng’s whereabouts. When pushed further with questions about Zhang Gaoli, the bot repeated the same refusal.
I tested the chatbot myself, only to receive identical results. Even asking vaguely about Peng resulted in a deflection: “The server is busy. Please try again later.”
ChatGPT offers a different response
In contrast, ChatGPT was more forthcoming with information, recounting the key details of Peng’s disappearance, her re-emergence under questionable circumstances, and the international pressure that followed. It also highlighted the WTA’s initial strong stance against China, which led to the suspension of tournaments in the country.
As opposed to DeepSeek, when asked whether Peng was involved with Zhang Gaoli, ChatGPT’s response was straightforward:
Yes, Peng Shuai was involved with Zhang Gaoli, a former high-ranking Chinese Communist Party official. In November 2021, Peng posted a message on Weibo accusing Zhang, who was China’s vice premier from 2013 to 2018, of coercing her into a sexual relationship. She described an on-and-off affair with Zhang that spanned several years, including an instance where he allegedly pressured her into sex after inviting her to his home.
Her post was swiftly censored in China, and she disappeared from public view, sparking global concern. The Chinese government never directly addressed her allegations, and Peng later made public appearances where she denied making accusations of assault, raising suspicions that she was under duress.
The case remains a highly sensitive topic in China, and Zhang Gaoli has never publicly responded to the allegations.
The world has moved on, without clear answers
Peng’s case was once the rallying cry for human rights activists and fellow athletes. Social media was flooded with #WhereIsPengShuai, demanding answers. Today, that movement has largely faded. The WTA’s boycott is over, human rights groups have moved on, and players no longer speak publicly about her.
If China’s new AI chatbot is any indication, the case of Peng Shuai is not just being censored—it’s being erased from history.
