The fault lines of diplomatic recrimination

The fault lines of diplomatic recrimination

News: The article discusses detention of Huawei Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Ms Meng and its implications.

Facts:

• On December 1, 2018 Canada, on being requested by US, detained Ms. Sabrina Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s Chief Financial Officer.
• Meng is the daughter of Huawei’s founder Ren Zhengfei and could face extradition to the U.S. The incident will have a bearing on Canada-Beijing ties.
• On January 14, 2019 a Canadian national Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was sentenced to death by China for drug trafficking and recently China detained two other Canadian citizens (one, a diplomat on leave) on national security grounds, which is allegedly a counter to Ms Meng’s detention.

Reasons forwarded by US behind Ms. Meng’s detention: There are three basic complaints the US has against Huawei, and China by extension:

• Breaching sanctions against Iran: Meng allegedly committed fraud by lying about Huawei’s connection to some firms that allegedly conducted business with Iran.
• Aiding and abetting espionage: Carrying espionage through electronic chips installed in Huawei phones.
• Breach of intellectual property rights and technology theft.

The detention of Ms. Meng sends out a signal not only to China but also to prospective violators of U.S. sanctions. The retaliatory Chinese action against the three Canadians, one of whom now faces execution, is a collateral damage to Canada which should set alarm bells ringing, especially in the West.