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Peng Shuai Says Post Alleging Sexual Assault Was an 'Enormous Misunderstanding'

In a recent interview, Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai denied saying that a former Chinese political official sexually assaulted her and called the situation "an enormous misunderstanding."

According to the Associated Press, Peng spoke to French newspaper L'Equipe, which agreed to pre-conditions for the interview, such as publishing her comments verbatim in question-and-answer form and submitting questions in advance. An official for the Chinese Olympic Committee also "sat in on the discussion and translated her comments from Chinese."

Peng was asked about a November social media post from her verified Weibo account that said former Communist Party official Zhang Gaoli forced her to have sex despite her repeated refusals.