JOHN YANG: When Chinese tennis star Peng Shua disappeared from public view after accusing a high ranking Communist Party officials of sexual assault, the Women's Tennis Association declared and would not hold any more tournaments in China until Peng's whereabouts were known.

And there was a full uncensored investigation of allegations.

That was two years ago.

There's still no official word about Peng who hasn't been seen since a brief appearance at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

There's been no investigation.

But despite that, on Tuesday, in Beijing, the WTA's $8 million.

China Open begins.

Sophie Richardson is the China director of Human Rights Watch.

Sophie, first of all, let's -- I want to talk about Peng.

What do we know about her current situation?

Do we know anything?

SOPHIE RICHARDSON, China Director, Human Rights Watch: We know very little.

We don't know whether she has removed herself from public view or whether she is being kept out of sight by either sports officials or by agents of the government or the party.

JOHN YANG: The WTA says they've been in touch with people around her people know her well.

And they say that she' swell, she's living with her family and baby.

If any of that's true, SOPHIE RICHARDSON: There's no way to verify it independently.

And really, even if we could, we are talking about an independent adult who should be able to answer these questions herself directly in order for us to be confident that she really is free, secure, or any of the other characteristics that people are attributing to her.

JOHN YANG: I want to read the statement that the Women's Tennis Association released when they say they were going back to China, they said after 16 months of suspended tennis competition in China and sustained efforts at achieving our original request, the situation has shown no signs of changing.

We have concluded we will never fully secure those goals.

And it will be our players of tournaments, who will ultimately be paying an extraordinary price for the sacrifices.

What do you make of that?

SOPHIE RICHARDSON: Well, I think the WTA gets a lot of credit for having tried to take a principal position in the first place.

And then for having been honest about the ways in which it hasn't succeeded.

I would amend that statement, to be clear that what hasn't changed is the intransigence and the hostility of the Chinese government and Communist Party, you know, to being transparent to people letting speak their mind freely or to letting serious allegations of sexual assault be investigated by competent authorities.

That's what needs to change.

JOHN YANG: In wages.

This embolden them, they just helped hold out long enough things will they'll get what they want?

SOPHIE RICHARDSON: I think that's the story of the last 40 years, particularly with the business community as a whole.

Again, I think, you know, the WTA is being honest and saying that it tried and failed.

You know, a lot of companies and indeed sports organizations, and particularly a body like the International Olympic Committee, just continue to insist without any evidence that simply doing business there will bring improvements.

And I think recent history shows that that's not really the case.

JOHN YANG: Alize Cornet of France is one of the few top 100 players who was not going or says she's not going to China, because of Peng.

She said on her Instagram post staying true to my convictions and careful about my health, I decided I will not be playing in China this year.

Are the players doing enough to support their colleague?

SOPHIE RICHARDSON: I think in the immediate aftermath of Peng Shuai's allegations against Zhang Gaoli in November of 2021.

Number of athletes spoke up very I think movingly and strongly both in her defense but also concerned about her whereabouts and well-being and it's good to hear some of them follow through on those concerns.

But I think too often they are limited or have to stop and think about whether professional sports associations will in any way penalize them for trying to speak their minds or act on their own principles and that is unfair and should change to.

JOHN YANG: Peng is obviously a very high profile individual.

So a lot of attention.

A lot of people notice when she sort of disappeared.

But are there are people who are less known who just simply the similar things that are happening to them in China.

SOPHIE RICHARDSON: The Chinese government has a long track record of disappearing people and whether it's for example a journalist named Huang Xueqin who has just tried on Friday after being off the grid for two years.

She made her name actually writing about MeToo cases in China, or whether you're talking about until recently foreign minister, who disappeared off the grid in June.

The authorities have no trouble simply depriving people of their liberty.

There's no warrant, no arrests.

Nobody tells your family where you are, and you can't call a lawyer.

This is an alarmingly common problem for journalists, for activists and indeed for very senior government officials.

JOHN YANG: Sophie Richardson of Human Rights Watch, thank you very much.

SOPHIE RICHARDSON: Thank you.