Considerations of a boycott come just two weeks after the White House directly addressed the Peng Shuai matter and called for “verifiable proof” of her safety.
On Friday November 19, Psaki gave a statement on behalf of the US government, saying: “We are deeply concerned by reports that Peng Shuai appears to be missing after accusing a former PRC senior official of sexual assault. We join in the calls for PRC authorities to provide independent and verifiable proof of her whereabouts and that she is safe.
“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.
“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.
“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 out, and we continue to condemn those practices.”