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Finally, an entity finally stands up to brutal totalitarianism in China - well done WTA! Nike and the NBA could not be reached for comment.


Advantage, Women’s Tennis Association
The WTA announces it is suspending all tournaments in China.

Too many Western leaders and celebrities apply a double standard when doing business with China, forgiving behavior from Beijing they’d deplore at home. Think the NBA’s LeBron James on Hong Kong, or BlackRock CEO Larry Fink on governance standards for business.

So it’s bracing, and welcome, to hear the Women’s Tennis Association hold to principle as it stands up for Peng Shuai, a Chinese tennis star who publicly accused a high-ranking Communist leader of sexual assault in a now-deleted social media post from November.

In a new statement Wednesday, WTA chairman and CEO Steve Simon repeated “what is needed here,” which is “a full and transparent investigation—without censorship—into Peng Shuai’s sexual assault accusation.” Although Chinese media have released videos of Ms. Peng, and she made a video call to the International Olympic Committee to say she was safe, the WTA rightly says it can’t be sure she is speaking freely.

Mr. Simon didn’t say it but we will: The IOC can’t be trusted because it has an interest in making everything about Ms. Peng look good with the Winter Olympics scheduled for February in Beijing.

“As a result,” Mr. Simon says, “and with the full support of the WTA Board of Directors, I am announcing the immediate suspension of all WTA tournaments in China, including Hong Kong. In good conscience, I don’t see how I can ask our athletes to compete there when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has seemingly been pressured to contradict her allegation of sexual assault.”

He added that, “Given the current state of affairs, I am also greatly concerned about the risks that all of our players and staff could face if we were to hold events in China in 2022.” That’s a crucial point because China is known for punishing those who don’t toe its line.

Seldom do Western CEOs speak so honestly to China, much less risk their lucrative China markets over principle. The test now is whether others will continue to speak out and keep the pressure on. In particular, it will be telling to see whether the WTA gets support from other sports organizations, or whether they go the NBA route.

If China is being honest, it will let Ms. Peng leave the country and speak freely about her accusations. The way the WTA’s requests have been treated is another reminder that if foreign businesses don’t hold China to internationally accepted rules, China will impose its own rules on them.


Link: WTA