Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei, returns to B.C. Supreme Court after a break in her extradition hearing, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, in Vancouver, British Columbia. (DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS VIA AP)
China urged the Canadian government on Thursday to immediately correct its mistake, release Meng Wanzhou and allow her to return home safely, saying that the unreasonable detention of Huawei's chief financial officer is a textbook case of coercion and an infringement of human rights.
Hearings in Meng's extradition case wrapped up on Wednesday. A verdict is pending. Meng, now 49, was arrested in late 2018 at Vancouver's airport at the request of the United States over allegations of bank fraud and violations of sanctions against Iran.
Ms Meng has not violated any Canadian law, but the Canadian side has unreasonably detained her for almost 1,000 days
Hua Chunying, spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry
"Ms Meng has not violated any Canadian law, but the Canadian side has unreasonably detained her for almost 1,000 days," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.
China has stressed from the beginning that the case is a political incident concocted by the US government with the real purpose of cracking down on China's high-tech companies and thwarting the country's progress in the scientific and technological fields, Hua said.
She told reporters at a regular news briefing in Beijing that the Canadian government has been acting as an accomplice for the US side in the case and bears undeniable responsibility for its actions.
While some people in Canada boast about defending human rights and democracy, they have given no thought to the human rights of Meng and her family members, including her young children, Hua said.
The Chinese people are strongly indignant about the case and have urged the Canadian government to listen to the public opinion, she said.
On Wednesday, the Global Times newspaper issued an open letter to Canada's ambassador to China, Dominic Barton, and also initiated an online petition demanding the immediate release of Meng. As of Thursday afternoon, more than 7 million people had signed the petition.
The Canadian government should listen to the calls for justice, uphold the spirit and courage for independence and allow Meng to return to China safely as soon as possible, Hua said.
