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As I see it | Why Grace Meng’s claims of injustice won’t spark a Peng Shuai-style outcry

  • The wife of ex-Interpol chief Meng Hongwei described the Chinese government as a ‘monster’ for her husband’s detention and bribery conviction
  • But her claims that he was punished for his reformist zeal ring hollow, especially since there’s no evidence to substantiate them

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Grace Meng, wife of Meng Hongwei, pictured during her interview with the Associated Press in France on November 16. Photo: AP

Much has been said in recent weeks about the plight of Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, who disappeared from public view after accusing a high ranking government official of sexual assault.

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But amid the global outcry over her safety and whereabouts, scant attention has been given to another woman surfacing claims of injustice against Chinese authorities.

Grace Meng, the wife of former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei, was thrust into the limelight following an exclusive interview last week with American news agency, the Associated Press, in which she described the Chinese government as a “monster” and claimed that her husband’s bribery conviction was “a lie”.
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Meng – also a former vice-minister of public security in China – was sentenced in January last year to 13 years and six months in prison for accepting more than US$2 million in bribes.
IOC President Thomas Bach talks to Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai via video link on Sunday. Photo: IOC Handout via Reuters
IOC President Thomas Bach talks to Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai via video link on Sunday. Photo: IOC Handout via Reuters
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