China warns Canada of serious consequences for arresting Huawei executive

Huawei Group Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou. Photo:AP.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng summoned the Canadian ambassador to Beijing on December 8 to hand over a diplomatic note protesting the arrest of Huawei's chief financial officer, according toReuters.

"Canada's arrest of Ms. Meng Wanzhou at the request of the United States while Ms. Meng changed flights in Vancouver is a serious violation of her legitimate rights. This is essentially a 'dirty' act. China strongly urges Canada to immediately release her and protect the legitimate rights of the detainee, otherwise the country will have to bear full responsibility for the serious consequences," Mr. Lac Ngoc Thanh emphasized.

Meanwhile, Canadian Foreign Ministry spokesman Adam Austen affirmed the importance and value of the relationship with China, saying that Canada's ambassador in Beijing had assured that the country would provide consular access and assistance to Ms. Meng.

Meng Wanzhou, 46, is the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei and is considered a leading candidate to take over her father's company. In addition to her position as chief financial officer, Meng is also one of the vice chairwomen of the board of directors of the company.

The Canadian Justice Department announced that Ms. Meng was arrested on December 1 in Vancouver at the request of the United States. The Supreme Court of British Columbia, Canada, said on December 7 that Ms. Meng was accused of "conspiracy to defraud multiple financial institutions" and could face more than 30 years in prison if convicted and extradited to the United States. Ms. Meng will be held until December 10, when her bail hearing will continue.

Huawei has denied all allegations and protested Canada's arrest of Ms. Meng, saying it was not aware of any violations by her and asserting that the corporation complies with all applicable laws.