After interviewing Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai, a French reporter with sports newspaper L’Equipe said on Tuesday the restrictive interview was likely part of a propaganda effort by the Chinese regime. Marc Ventouillac was one of the two French reporters who were the first western media to speak with Peng after she made online accusations in November against a senior Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader. In her lengthy social media post, Peng said former vice-premier Zhang Gaoliof forced her to have sex. After making her allegations, she then disappeared from public for several weeks, and her safety became a global concern. The L’Equipe interview with the three-time Olympian and former top-ranked doubles player was organized and watched over by Chinese officials in a hotel in Beijing on Sunday. It was published on Monday. In the interview, Peng denied having accused Zhang of sexual assault and claimed that she deleted the …