Key Sentence:
- China’s chief technology officer, who is jailed in Canada on charges of US fraud.
- Left the country after years of diplomatic tension over his fate following a settlement with prosecutors.
Meng Hangzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer, was arrested in December 2018 Meng Wanzhou at the request of the US on fraud charges. TheUS Department of Justice rejected his extradition request on Friday. The case has angered China and strained relations with the United States and Canada. It has also sparked accusations that China had detained Canadians in retaliation, which China denies.
“My life has been turned upside down. It was a devastating moment for me,” Ms. Meng told reporters after she was released from Canadian custody. “Every cloud has a silver lining,” he continued, adding, “I will never forget all the good wishes I received of people around the world.” Shortly after, he boarded an Air China flight to the Chinese city of Shenzhen, AFP reported.
An Air China flight to Shenzhen, believed to be carrying Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, departed from Vancouver International Airport in Richmond.
Details of a possible deal to free Meng have been the subject of intense discussion between US and Chinese diplomats.
The United States alleges that Meng misled HSBC about the true nature of Huawei’s relationship with a company called Skycom, putting the bank at risk of violating US sanctions on Iran. This means the Justice Department will stop prosecuting Meng until December 2022. If she meets the conditions set by the court, the case will eventually be dropped.
The deal that recommended his release allowed him to formally plead not guilty to the main charges while acknowledging America’s leaders. Later on Friday, Canadian prosecutors told a court in Vancouver that they had withdrawn their extradition attempt and that he should be released. He was under house arrest for nearly three years in his million-dollar Vancouver home.
Before appearing in court, Meng was seen entering the building, accompanied by Chinese consular officers.
The judge then ordered his release. Meng agreed to a “fact-finding” and admitted that she intentionally provided HSBC with false information as part of the deal. The Justice Department said Ms. Mann “was responsible for his key role in running the global fraud system for financial institutions. The Ministry of Justice also announced that a case against Huawei was being prepared. For months there has been extensive behind-the-scenes contact with top executives of the Huawei company. Sent to Washington to resolve cases that have stoked international tensions.
This matter is deeply personal for the Huawei boss because his daughter is in prison but has become a significant source of anger for the rest of China. It also poisoned relations between China and Canada, as the latter believed that two of its citizens, Michael Kovrigand Michael Spavor, were kept as pawns in the talks.
The deal can ease some of the tension. But there will still be questions – what does the US get out of it? And what is the connection between events in North America and the status of the two Michaels in China?