Date Set For Huawei Extradition Hearing

Global Business

Formal extradition hearings for Huawei C.F.O. Meng Wanzhou will begin January 20, 2020 and could last 10 months, according to Canadian court officials. Meng was arrested this past December at Vancouver International Airport. The U.S. wants her sent to New York to face fraud charges related to alleged violations of U.S. sanctions against Iran.

CGTN’s Jim Spellman has more.

Huawei calls the charges “baseless” and demands her immediate release. In a statement, the company says: 

“…the U.S. campaign against Huawei and comments made by the President of the United States also demonstrate that this case was guided by political and financial considerations, not the rule of law.”  -Benjamin Howes Vice President of Media Affairs at Huawei Technologies

The U.S. claims Huawei technology could give China access to user data or be used to launch cyber-attacks. No evidence has been made public to support those allegations. The U.S. has effectively banned Huawei and is barring U.S. firms from selling components to the Chinese tech giant.

In response, Facebook has announced it will no longer allow its applications, including Whatsapp and Instagram, to be pre-installed on Huawei smartphones, though the apps can be added later by users.

But other countries are embracing Huawei’s cutting edge 5G technologies. Russia has signed a contract with the company to build out its 5G network and warns that U.S. efforts to take on Huawei could lead to a divided global tech economy.

“Look at the situation around Huawei and unceremonious attempts at pushing it from the international market. In some circles, it’s already called the first technological war of the coming digital age,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin .