FROM EIR DAILY ALERT
China Calls in Canadian Ambassador re Huawei CFO Arrest on Behalf of U.S. Justice Department
Dec. 9, 2018 (EIRNS)—The Chinese Foreign Ministry summoned in Canadian Ambassador to China John McCallum today, in order to issue a “strong protest” over the Dec. 1 arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, for extradition to the U.S. Her detention was described as “extremely nasty,” and China warned that there would be “consequences” if Canada refused to release her immediately, according to Xinhua.
Meng’s hearing was held in Vancouver on Dec. 7, and the magistrate’s decision was held over until Dec. 10. In the Dec. 7 proceedings, it was revealed that Meng is charged with fraud for allegedly lying to banks about Huawei’s relationship with Skycom, a company which did business in Iran, thus breaking U.S. sanctions when those banks processed Huawei funds, according to the Wall Street Journal. The acts in question took place in 2013-14, but Meng’s lawyer told the court that Huawei had owned stock in Skycom, and Meng had been on its board only in 2008-2009.
The Journal reports that some Huawei executives began avoiding visits to the U.S. after April 2018, when the Justice Department began its criminal investigation. Meng was passing through Canada on her way to Mexico when she was arrested on Dec. 1.
The U.S. court action against Meng originates with the Southern District of New York. It has been reported that President Donald Trump himself was not informed in advance of the arrest of Meng. An article by Mei Xinyu, a research fellow with the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce, in the Global Times Dec. 7 points out: “There are those who claim that the Trump Administration didn’t plan the Meng arrest—instead, it was a deliberate move by the Democrat-controlled New York judiciary authorities to create an obstacle for China-U.S. relations....”
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer was interviewed on CBS News’ “Face the Nation” today, which asked him about the U.S. request for Canada to detain Ms. Meng. Lighthizer asserted that the arrest was totally independent of trade talks and the request was solely the decision of the U.S. Department of Justice. In fact, this means the same cast of characters who are involved in the witch hunt President Donald Trump on Russiagate. Lighthizer declared his view that action against Meng should not affect the trade talks, unless, he said, China makes it into an issue.
