Trump says he could intervene in case

President Donald Trump says he would consider intervening in the Justice Department’s case against a top Chinese executive if it would be in the interest of US national security and help forge a trade deal with China.

Trump told Reuters in an interview Tuesday, Dec. 11, at the White House that if he thinks it would be good for what will “certainly be the largest trade deal ever made” he would intervene if necessary.

A Canadian court granted bail on Tuesday to the chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei. She was arrested at the United States’ request in a case that has set off a diplomatic furor among the three countries and complicated highstakes US-China trade talks.

The judge is setting a string of conditions on Meng Wanzhou while releasing her on $10 million (US$7.5 million) bail.

Meng is required her to wear an ankle bracelet, surrender her passports, stay in Vancouver and its suburbs, and confine herself to one of her two Vancouver homes from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Justice William Ehrcke of the Supreme Court of British Columbia says he is satisfied Meng, a well-educated businesswoman with letters of reference, does not pose a flight risk.

Meng was detained at the request of the US during a layover at the Vancouver airport on Dec. 1-—the same day that Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping of China agreed to a 90-day ceasefire in a trade dispute that threatens to disrupt global commerce.

The US has accused Huawei of using a Hong Kong shell company to sell equipment in Iran in violation of US sanctions. It also says that Meng and Huawei misled banks about the company’s business dealings in Iran.

Amid rising tension between China and Canada, Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale confirmed earlier that a former Canadian diplomat had been detained in Beijing. The detention came after China warned Canada of consequences for Meng’s arrest.

“We’re deeply concerned,” Goodale said. “A Canadian is obviously in difficulty in China . ... We are sparing no effort to do everything we possibly can to look after his safety.”

Michael Kovrig, who has worked as a diplomat in China and elsewhere, was detained by the Beijing Bureau of Chinese State Security on Monday night during one of his regular visits to Beijing, said the International Crisis Group, for which Kovrig works as North East Asia adviser. /