US to 'formally seek extradition of Huawei exec Meng Wanzhou from Canada' as Beijing urges Washington to 'correct its mistake' and drop the request
- Meng was arrested on Dec 1 in Canada over alleged violations of Iran sanctions
- China's Foreign Ministry today reiterated calls for Meng's immediate release
- Canada and US 'arbitrarily abused their bilateral extradition treaty', Beijing said
- China held two Canadians and sentenced a drug trafficker to death after arrest
The United States will proceed with the formal extradition from Canada of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, the Globe and Mail reported Monday, as Beijing vowed to respond to Washington's actions.
Canada's ambassador to the US, David MacNaughton, told the Canadian newspaper that the United States has told Canada it will request Meng's extradition, but he did not say when the request will be made.
The deadline for filing is January 30, or 60 days after Meng was arrested on December 1 in Vancouver.
The United States will proceed with the formal extradition from Canada of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, the Global and Mail reported Monday. Meng was arrested on December 1 at the request of the United States over alleged violations of US sanctions on Iran
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Meng, the daughter of Huawei Technologies Co Ltd founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested at the request of the United States over alleged violations of US sanctions on Iran. She was released on bail last month and is due in court in Vancouver on February 6.
Relations between China and Canada turned frosty after the arrest, with China detaining two Canadian citizens and sentencing to death a Canadian man previously found guilty of drug smuggling.
Beijing has not tied any of the three Canadians' cases to Meng's arrest, but has warned of severe consequences if she was not immediately released. Western and former Canadian diplomats have said they have no doubt the cases are linked.
Huawei, the world's biggest maker of telecommunications equipment, said it had no comment on ongoing legal proceedings when contacted by Reuters on Tuesday. A US Justice Department spokesman said: 'We will comment through our filings.'
Huawei, the world's biggest maker of telecommunications equipment, said it had no comment on ongoing legal proceedings when contacted by Reuters on Tuesday
Tensions have escalated between China and Canada since Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of tech giant Huawei, was arrested in Vancouver on December 1. Ms Meng, pictured arriving at a parole office in Vancouver on December 12, is fighting extradition to the U.S
The Canadian Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.
China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday reiterated calls for Meng's immediate release and said her case clearly was 'not a regular judicial case'.
Anyone with fair judgment would determine that Canada made a 'serious mistake' in this matter, ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular news briefing.
'Canada and the United States arbitrarily abused their bilateral extradition treaty to seriously infringe upon a Chinese citizen's security and legal rights,' Hua said.
China 'strongly urges' the United States to correct its 'mistake', cancel the arrest order for Meng, and not make a formal extradition request, she added.
Asked if China would retaliate against the United States if Meng is extradited, Hua said, 'China will, of course, respond to US actions.' She did not elaborate.
Michael Kovrig (left), an adviser with the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based non-governmental organisation and Michael Spavor (centre), who is frequently consulted on matters linked to North Korea, and Sarah McIver (right), a teacher, are among the 13 Canadian citizens detained in China since Huawei exec Meng Wanzhou's arrest on Dec 1 in Vancouver
Canada is one of over 100 countries with which the United States has extradition treaties.
Once a formal request is received, a Canadian court must determine within 30 days if there is sufficient evidence to support extradition, and Canada's Minister of Justice must give a formal order.
In an article published on Monday, a former Canadian spy chief said Canada should ban Huawei from supplying equipment for next-generation telecoms networks, while Canada's government is studying any security implications.
Some of Canada's allies such as the United States and Australia have already imposed restrictions on using Huawei equipment, citing the risk of it being used for espionage.
Huawei has repeatedly said such concerns are unfounded, while China's ambassador to Canada last week said there would be repercussions if Ottawa blocked Huawei.
Robert Lloyd Schellenberg (centre), 36, was sentenced to death on Jan 14 by the Dalian Intermediate People's Court. He was arrested in 2014 on suspicion of smuggling crystal meth
In Monday's interview, MacNaughton said he had complained to the United States that Canada was suffering from Chinese revenge for an arrest made at the U.S.'s request.
'We don't like that it is our citizens who are being punished,' the Globe and Mail cited MacNaughton as saying. '(The Americans) are the ones seeking to have the full force of American law brought against (Ms. Meng) and yet we are the ones who are paying the price. Our citizens are.'
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau previously said China was arbitrarily using the death penalty and called on world leaders to raise concerns about the detained Canadians.
Ottawa has warned its citizens about the risk of 'arbitrary enforcement' of laws in China following a court's sentencing of Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, 36, to death this month for smuggling 222 kg of methamphetamines, increasing a previous 15-year prison term.
More than 100 China experts urge China to release Canadians
More than 100 academics and former diplomats are calling on China to release two Canadians who have been detained in apparent retaliation for the arrest of a top Chinese tech executive in Canada.
The letter by a wide array of China experts from around the world is addressed to Chinese President Xi Jinping. It says the arrests of the two Canadians sends a worrisome signal to those who work in policy and research in China.
China detained former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and Canadian entrepreneur Michael Spavor on Dec 10 in an apparent attempt to pressure Canada to release Chinese executive Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested Dec 1 at the request of U.S. authorities.
Michael Kovrig, an adviser with the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based non-governmental organization, speaks during an interview in Hong Kong
Meng is the chief financial officer of the Chinese tech giant Huawei and the daughter of its founder. The U.S. wants her extradited to face charges that she committed fraud by misleading banks about Huawei's business dealings in Iran.
The letter, released Monday, notes Kovrig is a former diplomat who was working as an expert on Asia for the International Crisis Group think tank. It notes that Spavor devoted his time to building relationships between North Korea and China, Canada and United States.
It praises Kovrig and Spavor as bridge-builders between China and the world and said their arrests make writers 'more cautious' about travelling to China.
'Meetings and exchanges are the foundation of serious research and diplomacy around the world, including for Chinese scholars and diplomats,' the letter says.
Businessman Michael Spavor arrives at Beijing Airport after a trip to North Korea
'Kovrig and Spavor's detentions send a message that this kind of constructive work is unwelcome and even risky in China,' it added.
The letter said the arrests will lead to 'less dialogue and greater distrust, and undermine efforts to manage disagreements and identify common ground. Both China and the rest of the world will be worse off as a result.'
More than 20 diplomats from seven countries and more than 100 scholars and academics from 19 countries signed.
The signatories include former British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind, former Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans and Chris Patten, former British governor of Hong Kong. Two former U.S. ambassadors to China, Gary Locke and Winston Lord, also signed.
