Could Americans be caught in the crossfire of an extradition request for Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou?
- Retaliation against US nationals a possibility but unlikely to match action against Canadians, observers say
Canadians may be in the firing line now but the US nationals could be at risk as the extradition saga involving Chinese tech executive Meng Wanzhou unfolds, observers say.
Beijing warned Washington on Tuesday against proceeding with its formal extradition request for Meng, chief financial officer of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei Technologies, which US officials are expected to file before the January 30 deadline.
If Canada extradites Meng – also known as Sabrina Meng and Cathy Meng – to the US to face charges, Americans could face repercussions, albeit to a lesser degree, according to observers.
Since Meng’s arrest last month, ties between China and Canada have been damaged over what has been seen as Beijing’s retaliatory detentions of two Canadians – former diplomat Michael Kovrig and businessman Michael Spavor – on vague national security charges. Canada’s envoy to China, John McCallum, warned last week that the actions could taint Beijing’s global reputation.
Observers said China had reacted more aggressively to the case of Meng, the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, because the company was a high-profile symbol of Chinese national pride.
Julian Ku, a professor at Hofstra University’s law school, said it would not be “out of the question” for there to be arrests of US nationals.