China has filed a formal protest with Canada urging the release of Meng Wangzhou – director of the telecommunications company, Huawei, and daughter of the company’s founder – and has warned the United States that, if not, it will have to face “serious consequences” .
The arrest of Meng Wangzhou, requested by the United States, which demands 30 years in prison for the CFO has become the worst of the diplomatic conflicts between China and Canada.
“China strongly urges the Canadian side to immediately release the detained person… otherwise Canada must accept full responsibility for the serious consequences caused,” says the statement presented to the Canadian ambassador in response to the arrest of Meng Wangzhou.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has described the detention as “unreasonable”, adding that it “ignores the law” and that it has all the signs of “causing damage” to the Chinese-Canadian relations.
Wangzhou appeared before a Canadian court last Friday, December 7, to request bail, while the Justice of Canada decides whether to approve her extradition to the US, where she has been accused of fraud by evading sanctions against Iran between 2009 and 2014.
Meng Wangzhou was arrested by Canadian authorities in Vancouver on December 1, at the request of the United States, which had requested her extradition for violating the sanctions imposed by Washington on Iran .
Meng had arrived in Vancouver from Hong Kong and was arrested when she was about to board a plane to Mexico.
During a hearing held in the Supreme Court of British Columbia in Vancouver (Canada), the Canadian prosecution has opposed the granting of bail. The reason is that Meng, 46 years old and daughter of the founder of Huawei, can flee the country.
The Canadian prosecutor’s office has decided to keep Meng under arrest until it is decided whether she is extradited to the US.
