Meng Wanzhou’s Canadian extradition case will stretch until April 2021, potentially prolonging China’s anger
- The new schedule was approved by a Canadian judge after the original timeline for the case was thrown into disarray by the coronavirus pandemic
- The next public hearing for the Huawei executive will be in August
Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou’s Canadian extradition case is set to continue until at least April 30 next year, extending a proceeding that has triggered a crisis in China’s relations with the US and Canada.
Ruling in the British Columbia Supreme Court on Tuesday, Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes agreed to a schedule jointly submitted by Meng’s counsel and the Canadian crown lawyers who are representing US interests in the case.
The US wants Meng, who is Huawei’s chief financial officer and the daughter of founder Ren Zhengfei, to face trial on fraud charges in New York. Meng was arrested by Canadian police, acting on a US warrant, at Vancouver’s international airport on December 1, 2018, infuriating Beijing.
The original case schedule, which could have seen hearings wrap up this October, was thrown into disarray by the coronavirus pandemic, which forced courts in Vancouver to suspend normal operations.
Public hearings will resume on August 17, with arguments about the admissibility of various evidence.