China's former vice-premier Zhang Gaoli has made his first public appearance since Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai accused him of forcing her into an abusive relationship last year, attending the 20th Communist Party Congress.
Mr Zhang, 75, walked onstage at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing behind President Xi Jinping and other retired and current leaders, and sat in the front row of the podium for the opening of the high-profile meeting.
He has made no public comment on the accusation made by Ms Peng last November, in a post that was soon scrubbed from China's internet.
It was widely reported that she accused him of sexual assault, but she later denied having made that accusation, and said her post had been misunderstood.
Her comments caused an international outcry over her safety, sparking the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai?
It also led the Women's Tennis Association to suspend tournaments in China, and demand a "full, fair and transparent investigation" into the former Chinese leader.
The WTA announced last month that tournaments would be held in China again from next year. The association has been contacted for comment.
Yun Jiang, the Australian Institute of International Affairs' China Matters fellow, said even before the congress, it was clear the allegations had not affected Mr Zhang's status and position.
"When the allegations first came out, they were heavily censored, and there was no movement towards disciplining or punishing him at all," Ms Jiang said.
"It was quite obvious that he would be untouched by the allegations.
"It shows that he has the backing of CCP leaders."
Dr Pan Wang, a lecturer in Chinese and Asian Studies at the University of New South Wales, said Mr Zhang's presence "shows his position within the party remains stable" and was an affirmation of his leadership.
"This has also whitewashed Peng's sexual allegation against him ... as if nothing had happened," she said.
Ms Jiang said if there was an investigation, the public had not heard of it, adding that when news that an investigation is underway is made public, it often indicates a guilty finding is imminent.
In general, she said, the government and party leadership have been "quite dismissive" of #MeToo cases.
"Peng Shuai is one case, but there have been other cases where the alleged victim has gone to court and the trial was quite favourable towards the alleged the perpetrator rather than the alleged victim."
"In China, this whole MeToo movement still has a very long way to go. In general, the government and the party has not been very supportive of it."
Dr Wang added that voices that were deemed feminist, alternative or out of step with the party's tone are often silenced "to give way to the interests of the nation".
Mr Zhang was among a number of senior figures, including Mr Xi's immediate predecessor Hu Jintao, who joined the party general-secretary onstage in a traditional show of unity at the opening of the week-long meeting.
The congress is expected to renew Mr Xi's leadership for a third term, cementing his position as China's strongest ruler since Mao Zedong.
Reuters/ABC
Additional reporting by Erin Handley
