One of the French journalists who sat down to speak to Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai this week has admitted he still cannot say for sure if she is free and safe.
Peng disappeared from public view for around three weeks last November after making allegations against Zhang Gaoli, China's former vice premier, on social media site Weibo.
Her claims that Zhang had pressured her into having sex were scrubbed from the internet within minutes.
After worldwide coverage of her claims and the fact she had not been seen or heard from since, Chinese state media later published photos and videos as proof of her safety and freedom.
She has also met with International Olympic Committee chairman Thomas Bach on more than one occasion, while this week she was interviewed by foreign media for the first time.
Chinese officials were in the room as two journalists from French outlet L'Equipe spoke with the former world number one doubles player in Beijing, where she has been watching action at the Winter Olympics.
In that interview, Peng claimed she had "never said that anyone made me submit to a sexual assault" and said there had been an "enormous misunderstanding from the outside world".
Many bodies, including women's tennis bosses at the WTA, remain doubtful of her freedom despite these public appearances – and it seems the same is true for the journalist who spoke with her.
"It’s impossible to say," reporter Marc Ventouillac said of whether or not he felt Peng is free and safe.
"It’s a part of communication, propaganda, from the Chinese Olympic Committee," he added, claiming that the interview had been granted by Chinese officials in the hope that the controversy does not overshadow the ongoing Winter Olympics.
"It's important, I think, for the Chinese Olympic Committee, for the Communist party and for many people in China to try to show: 'No, there is no Peng Shuai affair'."
Ventouillac went on to say Peng "seems to be healthy".
"There was no censorship in the questions," he continued. "She answered our questions without hesitating – with, I imagine, answers that she knew. She knew what she was going to say.
"But you can't know whether it was formatted or something. She said what we expected her to say."
