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A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 10 deceMber 2018

China summons U.S. envoy to protest detention of Huawei exec

By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN statement Sunday it can- the Nation,” downplayed deny bail to Meng, whose wei executive had vast re-
Associated Press celled a trade mission to the impact of the arrest on case is shaking up U.S.-Chi- sources and a strong incen-
BEIJING (AP) — China sum- China because of Meng’s trade talks between the na relations and spooking tive to bolt: She’s facing
moned the U.S. ambassa- detention. The announce- two countries aimed at de- global financial markets. fraud charges in the United
dor to Beijing on Sunday ment came amid fears Chi- fusing the tensions. Meng, also the daughter States that could put her in
to protest the detention of of Huawei’s founder, was prison for 30 years.
an executive of Chinese detained at the request of The hearing will resume
electronics giant Huawei in the U.S. during a layover at Monday.
Canada at Washington’s the Vancouver airport on Huawei, in a brief state-
behest and demanded the same day that Presi- ment emailed to The Asso-
Washington cancel an or- dent Donald Trump and his ciated Press, said that “we
der for her arrest. Chinese counterpart, Xi Jin- have every confidence
The official Xinhua News ping, agreed over dinner that the Canadian and U.S.
Agency said Vice For- to a 90-day cease-fire in a legal systems will reach the
eign Minister Le Yucheng trade dispute that threat- right conclusion.”
“lodged solemn represen- ens to disrupt global com- Canadian officials have
tations and strong protests” merce. declined to comment on
with Ambassador Terry The U.S. alleges that Hua- Chinese threats of retalia-
Branstad against the de- wei used a Hong Kong shell tion over the case, instead
tention of Huawei’s chief fi- company to sell equipment emphasizing the indepen-
nancial officer, Meng Wan- in Iran in violation of U.S. dence of Canada’s judi-
zhou. Meng, who is report- sanctions. It also says that ciary along with the impor-
edly suspected of trying to Meng and Huawei misled tance of Ottawa’s relation-
evade U.S. trade curbs on American banks about its ship with Beijing.
Iran, was detained on Dec. business dealings in Iran. Minister of Foreign Affairs
1 while changing planes in The surprise arrest raises Chrystia Freeland said
Vancouver, Canada. doubts about whether the Canada “has assured Chi-
The Xinhua report quoted trade truce will hold and na that due process is ab-
Le as calling Meng’s deten- whether the world’s two solutely being followed in
tion “extremely egregious” biggest economies can Canada, that consular ac-
and demanded the U.S. resolve the complicated is- cess for China to Ms. Meng
vacate an order for her ar- sues that divide them. will absolutely be provid-
rest. It quoted Le as calling Canadian prosecutor ed.” “We are a rule-of-law
for the U.S. to “immediately In this undated photo released by Huawei, Huawei’s chief John Gibb-Carsley said country and we will be fol-
correct its wrong actions” financial officer Meng Wanzhou is seen in a portrait photo. in a court hearing Friday lowing our laws as we have
Associated Press
and said it would take fur- that a warrant had been thus far in this matter and
ther steps based on Wash- na could detail Canadians “It’s my view that it issued for Meng’s arrest in as we will continue to do,”
ington’s response. in retaliation. shouldn’t really have much New York on Aug. 22. He Freeland said Friday.
The move followed the Huawei is the biggest glob- of an impact,” he said. said Meng, arrested en While protesting what it
summoning of Canadian al supplier of network gear Roland Paris, a former for- route to Mexico from Hong calls Canada’s violation
Ambassador John Mc- for phone and internet eign policy adviser to Ca- Kong, was aware of the in- of Meng’s human rights,
Callum on Saturday over companies and has been nadian Prime Minister Justin vestigation and had been China’s ruling Commu-
Meng’s detention and a the target of deepening Trudeau, said that Chinese avoiding the United States nist Party stands accused
similar protest warning of U.S. security concerns over pressure on Canada’s gov- for months, even though of mass incarcerations of
“grave consequences” if its ties to the Chinese gov- ernment won’t work. her teenage son goes to its Muslim minority without
she is not released. ernment. The U.S. has pres- “Perhaps because the school in Boston. due process, locking up
The Canadian province of sured European countries Chinese state controls Gibb-Carsley alleged that those exercising their right
British Columbia said in a and other allies to limit use its judicial system, Beijing Huawei had done busi- to free speech and refusing
of its technology, warn- sometimes has difficulty ness in Iran through a Hong to allow foreign citizens to
ing they could be opening understanding or believ- Kong company called Sky- leave the country in order
themselves up to surveil- ing that courts can be in- com. Meng, he said, had to bring pressure on their
lance and theft of informa- dependent in a rule-of-law misled U.S. banks into think- relatives accused of finan-
tion. country. There’s no point in ing that Huawei and Sky- cial crimes. The party also
Meng’s arrest has threat- pressuring the Canadian com were separate when, takes the lead in prosecu-
ened to increase U.S.-China government. Judges will in fact, “Skycom was Hua- tions of those accused of
trade tensions and shook decide,” Paris tweeted in wei.” Meng has contended corruption or other crimes
stock markets globally last response to the comments that Huawei sold Skycom in in a highly opaque process,
week. But U.S. Trade Repre- from Beijing. 2009. In urging the court to without supervision from
sentative Robert Lighthizer, A Canadian prosecutor reject Meng’s bail request, the court system or inde-
speaking on CBS’ “Face urged a Vancouver court to Gibb-Carsley said the Hua- pendent bodies.q