China exec gets bail; Trump muddies talks
BEIJING — China’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday denied knowledge of the detention of a former Canadian diplomat, as Chinese citizens rejoiced over a Canadian court’s decision to release Meng Wanzhou, a top Huawei Technologies executive, on $7.5 million bail.
Many in China believe the detention of former diplomat Michael Kovrig was related to Meng’s case.
But although the United States and China have taken pains this week to emphasize that their trade talks are separate from the U.S. case against Meng, President Donald Trump obliterated the distinction in the space of a few words,
Trump said Tuesday that he would wade into the case if it would help produce a trade agreement with China. “If I think it’s good for what will be certainly the largest trade deal ever made — which is a very important thing — what’s good for national security — I would certainly intervene if I thought it was necessary,” Trump told Reuters.
The comment suggests Meng could be a political pawn in talks and makes things more awkward for Canada, which arrested her on America’s behalf during a Dec. 1 layover at the Vancouver airport.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday: “Regardless of what goes on in other countries, Canada is, and will always remain a country of the rule of law.”
Meng was detained Dec. 1 at the request of the U.S., which accuses Huawei of using a Hong Kong shell company to sell equipment to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions.
Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale confirmed Kovrig’s detention. The International Crisis Group said he was taken into custody Monday night by the Beijing Bureau of Chinese State Security, which handles intelligence and counterintelligence matters in Beijing.