A Chinese
state TV employee has posted photos of missing tennis star Peng Shuai on social
media with concerns surrounding her disappearance after she accused a senior
leader of sexual assault becoming a global uproar.

The photos
were posted on Friday on Twitter, which is restricted in China. Shen Shiwei – the
state TV employee who posted them – said that the photos were on Peng’s account
on the WeChat messaging service with the caption “Happy Weekend”.

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This comes
after the editor of a newspaper published by China’s ruling Communist Party
said Peng will “show up in public” soon.

Global
tennis stars – including Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams – the Women’s Tennis
Association (WTA), the United Nations and the United States have recently
called on China to prove Peng, a three-time Olympian and a former World No 1 women’s
doubles player, is safe and is allowed to speak freely.

The
controversy creates a number of issues for China with Beijing set to host the
Winter Olympics in February. On Friday, a foreign ministry spokesperson denied
knowing about the controversy surrounding Peng’s disappearance.

Peng
has not been seen in public since posting a statement on social media, wherein she
accused Zhang Gaoli, a former member of the Party’s Standing Committee – the inner
circle of power – of forcing her to have sex despite repeated refusals.

Also Read | Where is Peng Shuai? China has a history of high-profile disappearances

Shen works
for CGTN, the English-language arm of China Central Television that caters to
foreign audiences. His post on Twitter came after CGTN released a statement,
claiming it came from Peng retracting her allegations against Zhang.

The editor of
Global Times, an English language newspaper published by the Communist Party,
said on Twitter that he had confirmed from unidentified sources that the photos
“are indeed Pen Shuai’s current state”.

“In the
past few days, she stayed in her own home freely and she didn’t want to be
disturbed. She will show up in public and participate in some activities soon,”
the editor, Hu Xijin, said.

(With inputs from the Associated Press)