Opinion | Why the US needs to stand with Canada and set aside politics in the prosecution of Huawei’s CFO
- Ankit Panda writes that Washington must affirm that Meng Wanzhou’s arrest is legally justifiable and will be handled as any other bank fraud prosecution might be
The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese telecommunications titan Huawei, in Canada has opened yet another rift between China and the West at a time of rising tensions across multiple fronts.
Meng, according to Canadian prosecutors, is charged with materially misrepresenting Huawei’s business relationships with Iran, causing American financial institutions to inadvertently clear transactions in violation of US sanctions on Iran.
With Meng’s knowledge, Huawei used a Hong Kong firm known as Skycom Tech to transact with Iran. At her bail hearing, prosecutors alleged that Meng had “direct involvement” with the scheme.
The core charge in Meng’s case is bank fraud – not a violation of unilateral US sanctions on Iran.
The reaction in China has been predictable outrage. Huawei is a source of national pride and Meng is seen as virtually untouchable given her role in the company and status as the daughter of its founder, Ren Zhengfei.