How to help Peng Shuai and WTA?

By Javier Palenque

In the past few days we all learned of the disappearance of Peng Shaui after she accused in Chinese social media a past member of the government of raping her. Immediately the WTA ‘s CEO Steve Simon issued a statement that was of course with the best intention but a bit naive, maybe I can help Steve with my years of China experience. As a background, I have been going back and forth from China for many years, established businesses there and know intimately how things work. I have been in high pressure situations in which rationality and reason were simply not enough to solve a problem. I needed local help to get me from point A to point B and that meant learning and listening. I learned quickly. Here are five lessons to know before you choose to speak publicly.

Lesson number one for the executives: China is not what you think.

Lesson number two: China is a dictatorship.

Lesson number three: You do not expose the crime and shame the dictatorship. This is a NO NO.

Lesson number four: If you care to help the athlete you do it quietly.

Lesson number five: If you don’t know this what are you doing in China?

Here is what needs to be done:

1. Find a way to reach the star through Chinese people only.