Meng Wanzhou’s political abuse claims ‘moot’ because Trump lost US presidency, Canadian court told
- Huawei CFO’s argument that she was pawn in US trade war with China is weak and hyperbolic, according to extradition case filing
- Remarks by Trump that he might intervene in the case were contradicted by other officials, said lawyers acting for the US
The lawyers, acting on behalf of US interests in the long-running extradition battle, also said the abuse argument, depicting Meng as a pawn in Trump’s trade war with China, was weak and “hyperbolic” and should be dismissed.
US prosecutors want Meng to face trial in New York on fraud charges, and are seeking to have her extradited from Vancouver, where she was arrested more than two years ago, throwing China’s relations with Ottawa and Washington into turmoil.
“This application is moot. The facts on which it is based – statements by a president no longer in office, about a possible intervention in this case that never occurred, purportedly to achieve a trade deal that has long since been successfully negotiated – have no past, present or prospective impact on these proceedings,” the government lawyers said.
The response to the application was lodged with the Supreme Court of British Columbia on January 25, but only made public on Thursday. Even if not moot, the statements by Trump on which the argument relied did not amount to misconduct alone, and were inconsistent with those of other officials, the lawyers said.
“The applicant has filed a highly selective factual record, and seeks to compensate for its weakness through hyperbolic characterisation of the supposed impacts of the statements,” they added.