Embassy protests arrest

The Chinese embassy in Ottawa on Wednesday voiced its “firm opposition” to the reported arrest of Meng Wanzhou, CFO of China’s Huawei Technologies.

The Canadian police, at the request of the US, arrested a Chinese citizen who did not violate any US or Canadian laws, the embassy said in a statement posted on its official website.

“The Chinese side expressed firm opposition and strong protest against such gross violations of human rights,” it said. “The Chinese side has made solemn representations to the United States and Canada, demanding that they immediately correct the wrongdoing and restore the personal freedom of Ms. Meng.”

Meng is also deputy chairman of the board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei.

Huawei said in a statement that Meng was changing flights in Canada when she was detained “on behalf of the United States of America” to face “unspecified charges” in New York.

“The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng,” the statement said.

Huawei said it complies with “all applicable laws and regulations where it operates, including export controls and sanction laws and regulations of the UN, the US and European Union”, and it “believes the Canadian and US legal systems will ultimately reach a just conclusion.”

Canadian authorities said on Wednesday that they have arrested Meng for possible extradition to the United States, The Associated Press reported. It cited Canada’s Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod as saying Meng was detained in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Saturday.

According to The Globe and Mail, a Canadian source said US law enforcement authorities “are alleging that Meng tried to evade the US trade embargo against Iran but provided no further details”.