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China warned Canada on Saturday there would be severe consequences if it did not immediately release the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies.
Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Canada on December 1st and faces extradition to the United States, which alleges she covered up her company’s links to a firm that tried to sell equipment to Iran despite sanctions.
If extradited to the United States, Ms Meng, daughter of the founder of Huawei, would face charges of conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions, a Canadian court heard on Friday, with a maximum sentence of 30 years for each charge.
No decision was reached at the extradition hearing after nearly six hours of arguments and counter-arguments, and the hearing was adjourned until Monday.
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In a short statement, China’s foreign ministry said that Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng had issued the warning to release Ms Meng to Canada’s ambassador in Beijing, summoning him to lodge a “strong protest”.
Canada’s arrest of Ms Meng at the request of the United States while she was changing plane in Vancouver was a serious breach of her lawful rights, Mr Le said.
The move “ignored the law, was unreasonable” and was in its very nature “extremely nasty”, he added.
“China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately release the detained person, and earnestly protect their lawful, legitimate rights, otherwise Canada must accept full responsibility for the serious consequences caused.”
The statement did not elaborate.
On Sunday, the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily said although China would not "cause trouble", it also did not fear trouble and that nobody should underestimate China's determination on this case.
When asked about the possible Chinese backlash after the arrest Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Friday that Canada has a very good relationship with Beijing.
Ms Meng’s arrest was on the same day that US president Donald Trump met in Argentina with China’s Xi Jinping to look for ways to resolve an escalating trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
A Huawei spokesman said on Friday the company has “every confidence that the Canadian and US legal systems will reach the right conclusion.” The company has said it complies with all applicable export control and sanctions laws and other regulations. – Reuters