US Misled Canada To Nab Huawei CFO, Court Hears

Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou and her lawyers returned to a Canadian court on Monday to press for her release, arguing the US misled Canada about her alleged crimes to secure her detention on foreign soil.

The defence, according to court filings, will say that the crux of the US charges against Meng – that she hid Huawei's relationship with former subsidiary Skycom in Iran from HSBC – is false and lacks context.

"Putting such a misleading and incomplete record before this court disqualifies it from continuing these proceedings," the documents said.

The Chinese telecom giant's chief financial officer was arrested on a US warrant in December 2018 during a stopover in Vancouver. She is charged with bank fraud linked to violations of US sanctions against Iran, and has been fighting extradition ever since.

The case, meanwhile, has added to severe strain in Sino-US ties and created an unprecedented rift between Canada and China.

Despite the Covid-19 outbreak's disruptions of trials at the British Columbia Supreme Court, Meng's case has proceeded by teleconference – though at a slow pace.

She appeared in person on Monday for the first time in months, wearing a face mask, in accordance with public health rules.

US indictments allege that Meng and the world's largest telecoms equipment manufacturer conducted business in Iran in violation of US sanctions through Skycom.

The US Justice Department says the Hong Kong-registered firm was a poorly disguised Huawei front company and Meng fraudulently concealed this from HSBC, putting the bank at risk of unknowingly violating Iran sanctions.

But Meng insists she was upfront with HSBC and its executive at a Hong Kong tea house meeting.

Meng remains under house arrest in Vancouver while the extradition case, which is due to wrap up in March or April 2021, is heard. (AFP)