Capturing share more authentic moments, from your travels with broadband stories, smart glasses from RE ban and Facebook simply pressed the capture button on the frame with your finger to take photos and videos. So you can keep your eyes on the adventure and still have all the memories save to your phone. riband stories, the new way too. Sir Share and listen shop. Now at re ban dot com from the New York Times, I'm Sabrina tax We see this as the Daily China's decision to censor STAR athlete has confronted the sports industry, with a dilemma speak out in her behalf or protect their financial. in China. Today I spoke to my policy match Futterman about the Annette, affected way that dilemma is playing out.

it's Friday December tenth I keep seeing headlines involving China and a woman tennis player and I'm not quite sure what to make of them and as a long time sportswriter for the times whose covering this story help me understand. It tell me where it is. It start, so this story starts on November. So when punch. Why? Who has long been one of China's most popular tennis player? Certainly probably even one of these most popular athletes,

free time, a lamp in Grand slammed that was champion, she goes on one of China's largest social media site. We bow and sheep posts, a lengthy blog post. I guess you could call it detailing her relationship, which culminated in a sexual thought and she state in this post, even if it's just me like an angel Iraq or amounts to a flame, quoting self destruction. I'll tell the truth about you and you happens to be a gentleman named jangling who was one of the members of China's seven member ruling committee, along with ping- and this is the sort of accusation that does not get me

against powerful people in China, while so here's this woman tennis air who is taking on a really prominent and powerful chinese leader and distant listening to her words and the image it makes re crack like an egg hitting a rock. I mean It's like she knows, and she saying she knows. This is an incredibly risky move. Yes, she says and she says a lot of other things that are really disturbing. She talks about in not feeling like shit. Worth living essentially, but also not having the courage to die talking about sort of her mind being worthless. At this point, a state of confusion, it's a real sort of cry for help and a lot of ways and is just incredibly upsetting and disturbing for peace to read. I'm sure very disturbing fur heard to reveal and it takes off sort of immediately.

she has seen over five hundred thousand followers on we bow and within minutes. The posting taking down Joe, while clearly the people who monitor China's social media, which is very closely monitored. As we know, this sets off alarm bells, but not before it's been copy and put on the twitter in an instagram and and other social media platforms on available in China? So it's a very quickly circles across the world, and catching fire. She is immediately basically scrubbed from the internet in China How so what happens with the EU

answered her name, any more of an chinese officials just did everything I possibly could to stop any discussion of this. There are people who report that they mention her. Like private chat groups and all of a sudden, there check group get zapped out wow, so the extent to which China goes to try and make this disease Pierre is really extraordinary I mean China really wants this to go away, it would seem so it would seem so and We see in the coming days. They also want her to go away. What do you mean? well for the next couple weeks. Nobody Caesar nobody can get in touch with her. She has had a fairly large social media presence in China. She speak star she's generally seen out about, but there's just no reported sightings of her.

and this happens in China. People do disappear when they run a foul of the government and the government officials, but case upon why it's a little different, because she has some pretty powerful supporters in the west before we get to that? Who is punctually What do we need to know about her she's born in eighteen? Eighty six in Hunan Province begins to play tennis, as a young girl and show some promise, and what I think is important about her story is that he is born sort of right in the sweet spot of where China is in terms of trying to establish itself in mainstream sports. There are certain sports that China has been very good at four.

Long time most notably table tennis bite in the ninety nine. These China so decides that it wants to use sports to establish itself as really so well rounded world power, and if you designs. On being an international athlete in your boy, in the way Davies early nineties. You hid it just right in China there because they want to host the Olympic Games and China pretty much steps on the gas in terms of developing athlete, sending kids to sport, schools and people like punch. Why who was a really good tennis player as a child. She is sent off to the National Tennis Development Programme and that's really where her career as a tennis player, begins to take off

she's dead, winning some tournament in winning some matches in the early two thousands and begins to establish herself in the later to thousands as someone who can play with the best players in the world, and that really climax is in two thousand. Thirteen sway who was dumped out of the early stages of the ladys singles appears to be thriving on the double circuits, a competence of the net, an instrumental part of a game was reading wards behold a partner when playing with furs taiwanese doubles, part size way anyway, she wins Z, Wimbledon Doublespeak, then said the next year. She wins. The french open Devils Championship

and she actually even makes the? U S open, singles semi finals, that year as well matched point here. Pon finishes This match twenty winners and only seven unforced, there's a perfect debut in she is in the? U S, In summary, final for the first time in her career, she is immediately launched into a kind of level of superstar them in China. there are have grand slam champions for the most part, two is seen as a really valuable asset for China. Terms of making its mark as justice. We modern country that can compete on the world stage in everything civil society. Such rules

Interesting mad, I mean it sounds like from everything you're saying she just has this really outsize role as one of the players who helped popularized tennis in China in some ways she kind of helped bring tennis to China. I think that's actually right so punctuate makes this post about this high ranking official, this sexual assault, she's, accusing him of, and then she disappeared is so what happens next point people have noticed and they're trying to get in touch with her. Most importantly, the women San Association, which is the professional women's tour has every interest in China, protect one of its players and tries to start reaching out to her. Every possible way that they can through chinese tennis, for your people, have her contact information and they can't

they have no idea where she is if she has safe, even if she's alive or dead and so on November. Fourteenth Steve Simon ahead of the debate here, makes the decision in consultation with the players in the other officials who are on his board of directors that he's gonna go public good this and he set up number of interviews in which he says this is unacceptable. We really concerned about punch. Why safety, and, in addition to want to speak with her, we want China to listen to these allegations and fully investigate them in a very public and transparent way, and the next question, of course, is well what, if they dont and that's when Steve Simon, says well, if they don't we're, gonna have to consider not doing business in China anymore, awhile and your how to choose

respond to that not well. China comes back and saying that you shouldn't be mixing sports and politics like this, but in time of how they really react to it. Make a move at first in terms of producing thanks, why they don't say: okay set up a call with you what they do instead? Is they keep things pretty quiet for a couple more days by What happens after Steve Simon goes public with this is the hashtag on Twitter that has been sort of bubbling out their, whereas punks, why, with a picture of that begins to take us in the same way that her initial post begins to take off this morning. Tennis is top stores, demanding answers as to the whereabouts of thirty five year old chinese tender, star punks. Why and you have incredibly prominent tennis player,

And even some people outside of tennis who start posting that on twitter and solidarity last week, Roger Federer, saying that the tennis world is you it around her people, like Serena Williams, I'm Jean king, under the women's tennis, tore down Osaka, I'm in short of the current situation and I'm sending love and light her way hashtag. Where is it pension? and even someone is prominent as Gerard Piquet, who is one of the most popular soccer players in the world. Where's something like twenty million followers on social media. and he posts said so. This becomes a real thing. And all of a sudden, not only are all of these athletes putting the spotlight on China, but there also

beginning to put pressure on the International Olympic Committee for them to do something about this, because Beijing is set to host the winter Olympics beginning in February, and in response to that China start scrambling. The first thing they do is they posting email on western social media? It's a very awkward, third email that begins. This is pon fly and it's an immediate to pass tat boy. This actually isn't punctual and in several sentences. She basically recounts everything she says and does anybody she safe and fine and pay no attention to what I said

earlier this month and Steve Simon says. Actually, this doesn't make me feel better about, what's been happening of punch, why it actually makes me feel more concern because it so clear she hasn't written right? the next thing they do is they have their correspondence in the state run media get into the picture and one journalists posts sure is of punch. Why Bedroom surrounded by stuffed animals smiling. It's got clear exactly when these pictures have been taken. It claims to have been take that day and once again? Do you really believe that and then, when those pictures don't

Anybody so better and other chinese news figure releases a video of punch. Why, in Beijing last drawn with a coach talking about tennis in China and she's mostly list and this guy is talking to her and clearly like trying to establish the date would you are saying things yesterday was November. Nineteen right, tomorrow's November twentieth right and I think China is trying to do what it always tries to do, which is control this story and try to put up

fire, but they also realise its not working and that when the International Olympic Committee gets involved so tell me about that. So, on Sunday November, twenty first, the irrational at the committee releases pictures of punch. Why, in a video call with the president of the National Epic, many Thomas back, and they say that they ve held a thirty minute, our station with her. She said the cheese, safe and fine, and in Beijing and resting and would like some privacy. They don't release a transcript of the call. They don't explain many details of the call, but they say that they made plans to have dinner in January, when Thomas Bach arrives in,

aging for the winter games, but there's some interesting details, gotta call which are really important. The first is that punch way is not alone on this phone call. She is it with an eye of the Athens representative, but she also has it with a Chinese represented to the International Olympic Committee, who is a part of the Chinese? Tell us federation and there's another point on the phone call was described to me as a friend to help her with her English and raises some alarm bells, because countries speaks perfectly fine. English. According to everyone who, I've talked to have spoken with her, so she clearly not speaking in Japan,

ITALY and freely, and there is also no mention in the statement that there is any discussion of the sexual assault of the allegations of anything that really happen to her in terms of an investigation of those things and that prompts Steve. Simon say once more while perfectly happy to see that a wise and seemingly save. I'm not satisfied we haven't been able to speak with her independently, and been no movement under investigation into this matter, and so he decides, along with the people in his board, who include several top players. That enough is enough, now very big update on a very important story we have been following, and was he announces he's doing? Is the women's Tennis Association announcing? It is immediately suspending all of its tournaments in China and Hong Kong. He's gonna, suspend all its devotees business in China, which,

essentially means we're. Not gonna have tournament there until we see some real, meaningful movement on this now the organizations chief of the deputy, I says in his statement, quoth if powerful people can suppress the voices of women and sweep allegations of sexual assault under the rug. We are pulling out of China, the world's largest country, than the basis on which the W tea was founded. Equality for women would suffer an immense set back a place that everyone has agreed for decades, that every sport needs to be doing business with and have a presence- and I will not and cannot let that happen to the deputy ain. Its players put the dummy the aim is leaving, and that never happens sports.

Will they re back whatever business here in growth? Isn't about working harder at eighty p? They believe it's about getting stronger by turning day into insights, so you can build teams that work as teams by using their I technology to help catch peril errors before their errors and by keeping ahead of thousands of changing regulations. So you can keep ahead of everything else. Atp helps more than eight hundred. Sixty thousand businesses like yours grow stronger every day. Eighty p h art. and time and payroll the holidays armed for somehow already here, which means big holiday deals, are yet most of these, so called deals are actually terrible do you separate a great price from me

her discount or know something's worth buying period. That's where wire comes in. borough an editor wire cutter, the product, fragmented, and service. From the New York Times, worker makes thousands of independent picks based on real world testing. We, view everything from stand mixers to sneakers. We also track prices check stock and that sell As for everything we recommend so this, season you dont, need to spend hours in line for online, define great deeds you just need a little help from wire cutter, take back your time, save money and skipped the stress visiting in why time? Stockholm slash holiday guy met, so the w G a suspends all tournaments in China, and you said I was extremely unusual, and sports never happens. Why not? What I think you just have to look at the NBA to understand what happened.

when you messed with China two years ago, two nineteen Houston Rockets executive sends out this tweet fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong in support of The protesters in Hong Kong at a twig was quickly deleted, but the damage it has already done and all of a sudden it becomes an absolute firestorm. China is furious. They stop selling Houston Rockets scene to Europe. On their websites, they take NBA Games ass, chinese television. Those gains have been cancelled, All these things suddenly happen in Vienna is now scrambling to contain the fall out. You have the MBA commissioner going on Give me at first apologizing, Mr Maurice peers, have deeply offended many about brands and fans in China, which is regrettable, but then after he gets critic

I'm having to say: oh actually are executives and players do have free speech. We are not apologizing for Darrell exercising his freedom of expression. So is this since aching credible very volatile situation where, if you sort of mess with China the black and white, with the Chinese you're either in order out and if you cross the line with them there that I come after you in the NBA estimated costs than about three hundred million dollars. Just because that one tweets and what before that after that, while that a very steep cos Yes, three hundred dollars lotta money, even for the NBA, which is a ten.

In our organization populated by some of the richest people in the world, are there other examples you, I think the most current example is the Irish Sea, which has had some behaviour in this situation, which is really surprised. A lot of people forget about criticising China. They have essentially been propping up the chinese government by putting out these very those and they statements- and I think there is a big question- is no why they're doing this and the reason is the olympics- are coming to Beijing. In less than two months and their mission is to bring the biggest countries in the world really all countries big and small, together something of a peace mission, but it's also serve the basis of their existence. That's the product that their selling and if they can't sell product if they can't bring all these countries in the world together to compete against each other and create this tv show which, in Greece,

so many millions of people every two years, there are huge financial stakes to that and it really serve poses an existential threat to the Olympics. If big countries decide that they don't want to go, and the biggest of all is China Summit Money, This constant theme with companies in china- and I guess what I'm wondering is- doesn't that w g. I also have business interests in China. I mean they suspended tournaments. So presumably this affects them as well right, it absolutely affects them. The dvd actually has a huge business interests in China, We're talking about a country that is those two nine ornaments, including that season ending championship and over the course of the next decade it estimated that you're looking at a loss of several hundred million dollars in China in terms of,

with that in terms of investment that they have promised to make. So this would be a really costly decision. So, given that pretty meaning for financial stake, why is the deputy aid taking such a hard stance here? Then I mean, what's driving them, to go against China's leadership on this issue with palm. While there is a serious, and for that I may. I think the first is that the debates. Yea does believe it's gonna have other opportunities, for example, most recently the tour finals they couldn't. We held in China because of covert they moved them today, the horror so perfectly excellent torment. So the money is I'm gonna go to zero. It might not be as much as they can get in China but they will have other opportunities and they believe in themselves, and so I think that one reason at a very sad, a basic dollars, incense level,

Another reason is that this organisation, the deputy I was founded in the nineteen seventies, at a time when women sports really didn't exist, and it was founded on the sort of basis of women really believing in themselves, it was founded by pillaging king, who was one of the great tennis players of her era and also just a huge activist for women's rights, and the idea of this tour was that women deserve to be paid attention to and listen to just like anyone else. and that brings us to punch why who is not only not being listen to what she's being silenced? So this situation

in the cheese in her effective disappearance is really kind of going against the entire mission of the w t. Yet this is the principle upon which this tour was founded, and it's just sort of sacrosanct. With these people. that you stand up for your own and yes, certainly stand up for one of your own when they put these, credibly serious allegations out there. He boy at this point it doesn't seem like any other. Sport is doing much more than voicing concern for punch. Why not even men's tennis? No one else is sort of joining the dvd and saying that they're gonna follow the same lead and to spend their own events in China and West,

as a full investigation and she is able to speak freely. That's not happening, it's sort of being seen as either a tennis problem or a female problem rather than a human problem. punch. Why, along with Lena, was a woman who really brought tennis the limelight in China and it really work in the way China wanted it to. It, helped legitimized the country The truly modern society but beyond that, she also It is a real inspiration to women and girls that they could do anything. Be anything because that's what happens when you become a champion in sports and now through no fault of their own she's, been silenced by chinese government she's

have disappeared, and so much of what she has dedicated her life to its last may, thank you thanks. So much will be right back. The daily is supported by grub hub when it comes to gifting. You want inspiration, personalization and ease this holiday season. Delivered joy with grub hub grub up can help you deliver joy to yourself and others, whether at something for yourself or a delicious meal for the entire family. Grub up is the perfect gift for everyone on your list. This holiday season give the gift of grub hub grub up, gift cards

perfect gift for everyone on your list, here's what I'll do you need to know? Today, federal health regulators approved booster shots of the Pfizer by on TAT, corona virus vaccine for sixteen and seventeen year olds clearing the way for several million teenagers to receive an additional shot. Adults have been eligible for booster since November nineteen, and about fifty million people. That's a quarter of all vaccinated adults have gotten. One early test suggests that the fast spreading variant, COMECON dolls, the power of two doses and regulators, say the booster- would offer additional protection and

A straw book store in Buffalo voted to form a union making it the only one of nearly nine thousand company on stores in the? U S to be unionized workers said they heard from other Starbucks employees across the country. During the campaign saying they were interested in union rising to the number of workers with small, but the effort with significant for the potential challenge it presents to the giant coffee retailer, which has opposed unionization. Today's episode was produced by Robert Jemison Moose Lady Rachel questioner, Alex Young and look vanderpool. It was edited by LISA, Chow and Patricia Wilkins. An engineered by Chris would, with original music by Miriam, was on our course shovel broad Fisher indian power are thin. Music is by Jim from birth and Ben Lansford of Wonderingly,

That's it for the daily I'm Sabrina, tavern C c. One Monday, despite cast, is supported by Disney plus with National geographic welcome to earth. Well Smith, a six part original series now streaming on Disney Plus, through the lens of academy, Word nominated filmmaker daring, errand ascii and with some of the world's top explorers well embarks on an ends of the earth adventure to explore the planet's greatest wonders. Welcome to earth all episodes now streaming only on Disney, plus