Wanzhou Maine (Meng Wanzhou)

Wanzhou Maine (Meng Wanzhou)

Biography

2018

Arrest at the request of the US authorities

In early December 2018, Wanzhou Men was arrested at the request of the United States. US authorities suspect the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei and the company's chief financial officer of violating US sanctions against Iran.

Men was detained in Canada. The United States insists on her extradition, as a Chinese citizen tried to circumvent Washington's sanctions against Iran. How he tried to do this is not reported.

Earlier, The Wall Street Journal wrote that an investigation is underway in the United States against Huawei regarding the company's connection with circumventing anti-Iranian sanctions. In November 2018, a new package of restrictions was adopted, which was called the "toughest" of all time.

 The bail hearing is scheduled for  December 7, 2018. The Chinese Embassy  in Canada called the detention a gross violation of human rights  and made a submission  to both the United States  and Canada.

A citizen of the PRC did not violate any of the American or Canadian laws, the embassy said.

According to Huawei board member Chen Lifan, Huawei  does not have any information about the illegal actions of its financial director.^[1]

Huawei hopes that the legal system of Canada and the United States can come to a fair solution, "wrote Chen Lifan on his page on the Weibo social network.

The Guardian  newspaper wrote that Meng's arrest could worsen relations between China and the United States. During the G20 summit in Argentina, US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping  agreed  not to impose additional duties for 90 days.

News of the arrest of Huawei's chief financial officer reduces risk appetite and raises concerns about US trade negotiations with China, "says the head of FPG Securities Co. Koji Fukaya. - Recent news on the talks has caused optimism, but recent events undermine demand for stocks and provoke yen purchases.

Release on $7.5 million bail

On December 12, 2018, a Canadian court released Wanzhou Men on bail in the amount of 10 million Canadian dollars (about $7.5 million). However, Huawei's chief financial officer still faces extradition to the United States and a prison sentence for participating in the illegal Huawei scheme, which violated the sanctions regime against Iran. 

The deposit for Men in cash was paid by his husband, as well as four friends and former colleagues. Now she will be able to serve her arrest under guard at her home in Vancouver, having surrendered the passports of the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong.

Wanzhou Men

In addition, a woman is obliged to wear an electronic bracelet and not leave the house from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. Until the end of the hearing on the extradition of Men to the United States, two guards and a driver were assigned to her.

Wanzhou Men asked the court to release her on bail due to deteriorating health. She said that she was forced to go to doctors due to hypertension. She also stated that the charges against her were not substantiated.

US President Donald Trump in an interview with Reuters on December 11, 2018 said he was ready to intervene in the case of Wanzhou Men, if this helps resolve trade disputes between China and the United States.

If I decide that this will help conclude the largest trade deal that has ever been made and that is very important, and that this is good for national security, I will definitely intervene if I consider it necessary, "he said.

If the United States does not send an official request for  Maine's extradition to Canada by January 8, 2019, then she will be released. The next court hearing with the participation of Huawei Finance Director is scheduled for February 6, 2019.

Against the backdrop of the scandal with Wanzhou Men, the daughter of the founder of Huawei, a former Canadian diplomat was detained in China, which  caused Ottawa concern .

According to Chinese experts, the arrest of Wanzhou Men demonstrates the US intention to unleash a technological war with China, and Huawei will not be the last Chinese company whose interests will affect Washington's actions.^[2]

2021: Release from house arrest and return to China

At the end of September 2021, the Supreme Court of the Canadian province of British Columbia released the chief financial officer of the Chinese company Huawei Meng Wanzhou. This decision was made after the woman made a deal with the investigation in the United States.

Meng Wanzhou partially pleaded guilty to concealing the facts of the violation of  sanctions. After that, the US Attorney's Office withdrew the request for her extradition. Charges were dropped from the top manager of Huawei, she returned and China.

China traded two Canadians for "Princess Huawei"

Over the past three years [Meng Wanzhou was detained in Vancouver in December 2018 - approx. TAdviser] my life turned upside down. It was a devastating time for me as a mother, wife and head of the company, "she said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hua Chunying believes that the case against Meng Wanzhou testifies to the arbitrariness of the US and Canadian authorities and attempts to put  pressure  on advanced technological enterprises in China.

The facts have long convincingly confirmed that such political actions were directed against Chinese citizens. The purpose of these measures is to put pressure on high-tech enterprises of the PRC, "she said.

China exchanged Wanzhou for two Canadian citizens. Simultaneously with the release of the "Princess Huawei" (as Meng Wanzhou is sometimes called in the media), Beijing released former diplomat Michael Kovrig, as well as Michael Spavor, head of the non-governmental organization Paektu Cultural Exchange, which arranges tourist trips to North Korea. Both were accused of trying to undermine China's national security. Spavor was sentenced to 11 years in prison. The verdict in the Kovrig case by the end of September 2021 is not reported. Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig returned to Canada and were greeted by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

China denied that Spavor and Kovrig were detained in response to Wanzhou's detention, and called the criminal prosecution of Huawei's financial director political.^[3]

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