An Air China flight bound for Shenzhen, believed to be carrying Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, takes off from Vancouver International Aiport in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada in this September 24 2021 file photo. Picture: REUTERS/JENNIFER GAUTHIER
The deal comes two weeks after President Joe Biden called Chinese leader Xi Jinping in frustration over Beijing’s move to link progress on climate change with other demands, including Meng’s release as well as lifting sanctions and removing punitive tariffs. China had insisted the US take the first step to improving ties, with foreign minister Wang Yi saying earlier this month that the US “should meet China halfway”.
Meng’s arrest in December 2018, which came on the same day Xi met former president Donald Trump on the sidelines of a G20 summit, shook elite circles in Beijing. She is the daughter of the founder of Huawei, a national champion at the forefront of Xi’s efforts for China to be self-sufficient in strategic technologies.
China on Saturday reiterated its stance on the issue, saying the arrest of Meng was political persecution against Chinese citizens with a purpose to suppress Chinese hi-tech companies. Allegations of fraud against Meng are purely fabricated, state broadcaster CCTV cited foreign affairs ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying as saying.
For China, beyond the insult of arresting such a high-profile figure, the case was also egregious because it showed how the US could unilaterally put sanctions on an adversary and then prevent other countries from conducting normal business operations. Beijing has sought to push back more broadly against US sanctions on Chinese officials, passing legislation in 2021 that may force businesses to pick sides if implemented.
The tricky questions raised by the agreement were alluded to by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who said there would be “time for reflections and analysis in the coming days and weeks” while welcoming home his countrymen.
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