My TakeTrump readies a triumph of realpolitik
- An expected trade deal between Washington and Beijing may return Meng Wanzhou to China and help Canada resolve a big diplomatic headache
There is no love lost between Donald Trump and prosecutors from New York. That may be one reason the US president is so ready to stick it to them in their extradition case against Huawei’s No. 2 Sabrina Meng Wanzhou.
Trump said discussions on dropping criminal charges will proceed in the coming weeks, after Beijing and Washington agreed to extend trade negotiations.
“We’re going to be discussing all of that during the course of the next couple of weeks,” he said. “We’ll be talking to the US attorneys. We’ll be talking to the attorney general. We’ll be making that decision.”
Of course, “that decision” isn’t his to make, but that of prosecutors from the Eastern District of New York – which prepared the US extradition request to detain Meng in Canada, and the bank fraud and Iran sanction-busting case against her – and the US Attorney General.
But by making their case look like a bargaining chip, he has severely weakened it for Meng’s defence team, one of the most prestigious and expert in Canada. He has also given cover to the Canadian justice minister, who is legally bound to refuse an extradition if it is deemed politically motivated.