The Battle for 5G, Escalating Trade War With China: Trump Administration to Request Extradition of Huawei CFO
Citing Canada’s Globe and Mail broadsheet, Reuters said the Trump regime “will proceed with (requesting) the formal extradition from Canada of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou” to the US.
Word reportedly came from Canadian envoy to Washington David MacNaughton. Deadline for the request is January 30 – 60 days after Meng’s unacceptable arrest and detention in Vancouver on December 1.
She’s currently held under round-the-clock-monitoring house arrest in the city, mistreated like a criminal.
What’s going on is part of Washington’s efforts to undermine China’s aim to become an economic, industrial, and technological powerhouse, including by targeting its tech giants like Huawei, serving US corporate interests, Ottawa acting as a US proxy.
Privately owned Huawei is a technological leader, the world’s largest telecom equipment manufacturer, the second largest smartphone maker, a top-100 Fortune global company – one of China’s most important enterprises.
It’s leading the race to roll out next generation cutting-edge 5G technology of mobile Internet use, ahead of US and European competitors. At stake are trillions of dollars of economic value ahead. Huawei is targeted by Washington for the above reasons.
Extraditing Meng to America for prosecution and potential imprisonment for alleged involvement in circumventing illegally imposed US sanctions on Iran will further strain Sino/US relations.
A previous article explained that Republicans and undemocratic Dems weaponized sanctions, one of the ways they wage war by other means.
The Vienna-based International Progress Organization calls their use “an illegitimate form of collective punishment of the weakest and poorest members of society, the infants, the children, the chronically ill, and the elderly.”
Washington uses them against independent states unwilling to subordinate their sovereignty to its interests – a bipartisan conspiracy against rule of law principles and responsible governance, part of what imperialism is all about.
Beijing warned of “grave consequences” if Meng isn’t unconditionally released, indicating it’ll respond accordingly to protect the interests of its public and privately run enterprises.
Meng is due in court on February 6, a Canadian judge to rule up or down on Washington’s extradition request – or perhaps Canada’s Supreme Court if China appeals an unjust ruling if rendered.
MacNaughton said Ottawa will honor Washington’s extradition request if judicially approved. Canada’s Justice Department hasn’t commented on Washington’s formal extradition request so far.
A US Justice Department spokesman said “(w)e will comment through our filings.” Once received, a Canadian court has 30 days to decide if evidence warrants extradition.
China’s envoy to Canada Lu Shaye called Meng’s arrest and potential extradition to the US “politically motivated…backstabbing,” adding the action was “unprecedented.”
Neither China or Huawei broke Canadian law. Lu stressed that a “war of words will only escalate tensions instead of easing” them between both countries.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying earlier said that
“(a)t the behest of the US side, (Canada) illegally detained the senior manager of the Chinese company who has violated no Canadian laws as the Canadian side itself has acknowledged. This action, which is far from legal, legitimate and reasonable, is what truly merits the name of arbitrary detention.”
If Meng is extradited to America for prosecution and possible imprisonment, China warned both countries it’ll retaliate – perhaps against one or more high-profile US private or public officials in the country.
What’s going on may hugely affect ongoing Sino/US trade talks. Major issues remain unresolved ahead of a mutually agreed on March 1 deadline.
Under ideal conditions, it’s highly uncertain whether Washington and Beijing can agree on a deal acceptable to both countries.
Extraditing Meng to America for prosecution may make put agreement any time soon out of reach.
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Award-winning author Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected]. He is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG)
His new book as editor and contributor is titled “Flashpoint in Ukraine: US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III.”
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
Featured image: Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying (China Embassy website)
