China repeats call on Canada to release Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou

China repeats call on Canada to release Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou

 
China on Monday reiterated its invitation to Canada to release Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of the detained Huawei Technologies Company as soon as possible, before the first hearing to hand them over to the United States later in the day.

"The determination of the Chinese government to protect the appropriate legal rights of Chinese citizens is consistent and unwavering," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters at a daily press conference, describing Meng's case as a serious political issue.

Meng Wanzo, daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested at Vancouver International Airport on December 1, 2018, at the request of the United States, where she was charged with bank fraud and accused of misleading HSBC over Huawei Technologies' business in Iran.

Her arrest angered the Chinese government, which subsequently detained Canadian citizens, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, on state security charges, and international observers described the cases against Kovrig and Savor as revenge for Meng's detention.

Meng is scheduled to appear later on Monday before the court in Vancouver during the first hearing of her extradition, and this court is a major step towards determining whether to be extradited to the United States, and it also constitutes a crucial test for the Chinese company that has become a symbol of interstate tensions United and China.

Huawei faced enormous pressure from the United States as it attempted to develop the business of 5G networks and smartphones, the issue strained relations between China and the United States, and put Canada in a critical position between the two superpowers in the world.

Although Washington and Beijing recently reached a temporary truce in the trade war, the Meng case shows that tensions do not go away completely, as this week's trial is expected to continue until Thursday, and it covers whether the behavior the United States wants to try meets the criteria of double criminality. in Canada.

The case may take months or years to pass judgment, and the issue may have repercussions for the three countries involved as well.

The Meng case marks the beginning of what Huawei had predicted would be a difficult year in 2020, as the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019 fought legal battles against the company and suppressed its ability to operate in the United States of America.

The US government has long raised fears that Huawei poses a threat to national security and that Beijing may use the company's products to spy on other countries, allegations the company vehemently denied.