The State Department said it’s standing with the Women’s Tennis Association in taking on Beijing over Peng Shuai, China’s top tennis player who disappeared for weeks after she publicly denounced a retired senior Chinese official for sexually assaulting her. The WTA on Dec. 1 moved to halt all matches in mainland China and Hong Kong indefinitely over concerns for Peng, making it the first sports body to challenge China’s communist regime over human rights. With China being the WTA’s biggest market, the suspension could potentially cost the organization hundreds of millions in broadcasting and sponsorship. “We applaud the WTA for its principled decision,” a State Department spokesperson told The Epoch Times. “U.S. businesses working in the PRC help shape the U.S.–China relationship and we think it’s important they retain the ability to speak out in support of human rights, including the right to freedom of expression,” the spokesperson said. Neither …