A Chinese telecommunication’s executive’s extradition hearing is poised to drive Canada’s relationship with Beijing to new lows, a senior Chinese diplomat warned Saturday.
“This is a severe political incident,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang.
The ominous bulletin came in response to Canadian officials deciding to proceed with an extradition hearing against Meng Wanzhou, the Huawei chief financial officer who is wanted in the United States on charges of circumventing American sanctions on Iran. She is a prominent figure in Communist circles as a top official at pioneering tech company that the President Trump’s administration regards as a cybersecurity threat because of its ties to Chinese spy services and the daughter of its founder, billionaire Ren Zhengfei.
“The U.S. and Canada have abused their bilateral extradition agreement and arbitrarily taken compulsory measures on a Chinese citizen, which constitutes a serious violation of the legal rights and interests of the Chinese citizen,” the diplomat said.
Canadian officials denied any political bias in their handling of the case. “The decision follows a thorough and diligent review of the evidence in this case,” the country’s Justice Department said Friday. “The Department is satisfied that the requirements set out by the Extradition Act for the issuance of an Authority to Proceed have been met and there is sufficient evidence to be put before an extradition judge for decision.”
If the Canadian courts conclude that the case against Meng is strong enough, then she will be sent to the U.S. for prosecution under federal law.
“China’s Communist Party has been exerting enormous pressure on our Canadian allies to release her, but the seriousness of the charges against her merit the scrutiny they are receiving,” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Friday afternoon. “The United States will pursue and try sanctions busters and, if the Canadian courts approve Meng’s extradition, she will experience something that her fellow Chinese citizens never get: a fair and open legal process.”
Chinese officials detained two Canadians shortly after Meng’s arrest, in an apparent act of retaliation.
China expressed frustration that Canada hadn’t caved under the pressure. “The Chinese side deplores and firmly opposes the Canadian side’s obstinately moving forward the so-called judicial process of extradition against Ms. Meng Wanzhou and has lodged stern representations,” Lu said.
A public official aligned with China’s government predicted further punitive actions.
“The whole world knows that Mr. Trump is using this case as a bargaining chip, and that it’s obviously a political issue, but the Canadian government cannot make a wise decision, which makes us very angry,” James Wu, executive president of the Canada China City Friendship Association, told The Globe and Mail on Friday. “The relationship between Canada and China has already been damaged, and this thing will further damage the friendly relationship between the two countries.”
