Huawei CFO’s lawyer says she’s a ‘hostage’ as US presses charges

Huawei’s CFO “should not be a hostage” in Sino-US relations, her lawyer said on Tuesday, after the United States announced criminal charges against her and the Chinese firm just days before crunch trade talks with Beijing.

The Justice Department charged Huawei Technologies and its chief financial officer with conspiring to violate US sanctions on Iran by doing business through a subsidiary it tried to hide. In a separate case, the Justice Department charged the telecommunications equipment maker with stealing robotic technology from T-Mobile. Huawei has said the companies settled their dispute in 2017.

CFO Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of Huawei’s founder, was arrested in Vancouver on Dec. 1, a move that was followed by China’s arrest of two Canadians on national security grounds. She is scheduled in court on Tuesday to discuss her bail terms, and is subject to a US extradition request. Her lawyer Reid Weingarten, partner at Steptoe & Johnson, pointed to “complex” Sino-US relations. “Our client, Sabrina Meng, should not be a pawn or a hostage in this relationship. Ms. Meng is an ethical and honorable businesswoman who has never spent a second of her life plotting to violate any US law, including the Iranian sanctions.”

Huawei said it had sought to discuss the charges with US authorities “but the request was rejected without explanation.” It said it “denies that it or its subsidiary or affiliate have committed any of the asserted violations” and “is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng.” China’s Foreign Ministry urged the United States to drop the arrest warrant and end “unreasonable suppression” of Chinese companies. Spokesman Geng Shuang also said China had issued stern representations to both Canada and the United States after the US formally issued its extradition request for Meng.

Canada’s justice minister has 30 days from receipt of the request to decide whether to grant authority to proceed. If granted, Meng’s case would be sent to the British Columbia Supreme Court for a hearing, which could take weeks or months. The development is likely to upset talks between Beijing and Washington this week as part of negotiations intended to walk back trade tensions between the globe’s two largest economies. President Donald Trump said in December he could intervene in Meng’s case if it would serve national security interests or help close a trade deal with China. US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the charges are “wholly separate” from the trade negotiations.

https://nypost.com/2019/01/29/huawei-cfos-lawyer-says-shes-a-hostage-as-us-presses-charges/amp/

Huawei executive Meng arrives for hearing at Canadian court

VANCOUVER (Reuters) - Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou arrived on Tuesday for a hearing before a Canadian court in a case that has strained Beijing's ties with Canada and the United States. Canada arrested Meng on Dec. 1 as she was changing planes in Vancouver, at the request of the United States, which on Monday brought sweeping charges against Huawei and Meng that paint the company as a national security threat. Meng was charged with bank and wire fraud to violate U.S. sanctions against Iran.

Meng, the daughter of Huawei's founder, is scheduled to appear in court in Vancouver to discuss her bail terms, according to British Columbia Supreme Court schedules. She is fighting extradition to the United States. Following her arrest last month, China arrested two Canadians on national security grounds. Her arrest further aggravates U.S.-Chinese tensions at a time when the world's two largest economies are locked in a trade war. U.S. President Donald Trump said in December that he could intervene in Meng's case if it would serve national security interests or help close a trade deal with China. In her December bail hearing, Meng argued she should be released on bail, citing her longstanding ties to Canada, properties she owns in Vancouver and fears for her health while incarcerated. In a sworn affidavit, Meng said she is innocent and will contest the allegations at trial in the United States if she is extradited. Meng said she was taken to a hospital for treatment for high blood pressure after being detained. She cited that condition in a bail application seeking her release pending an extradition hearing.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Tuesday he expected significant progress in Washington trade talks with Chinese officials set for Wednesday and Thursday. Mnuchin said the U.S. security concerns raised by the Huawei case were separate from the trade issue. China's foreign ministry has urged the United States to drop the arrest warrant and end "unreasonable suppression" of Chinese companies. China has demanded her immediate release. Huawei is the world's largest supplier of telecommunications network equipment and second-biggest maker of smartphones. It derives nearly half of its total revenue outside China.

https://in.mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idINKCN1PN2A8

EU Officials Pledge to Bolster Cyber Defenses As More Nations Call for Unified Stance on Huawei

BRUSSELS—Amid new calls for a continent-wide response to state-sponsored digital security threats, senior figures in Brussels have vowed to beef up Europe’s cyber defenses in a coded warning to Chinese telecom giant Huawei. The European Union’s Security Commissioner, Julian King, said regulators wouldn’t “walk away” from the challenge and insisted it was “entirely legitimate” for the bloc to take action to defend itself.

Hungary meanwhile, often considered the black sheep of the club, called for an “all European” diplomatic response to China over the deepening security scandal and warned the continent is now “lagging behind” on technology. The remarks came after Beijing’s envoy to Brussels, Ambassador Zhang Ming, accused the EU of “slander” and “discrimination” and said it had “fabricated a security story” in an interview with the Financial Times. French European Affairs Minister Nathalie Loiseau also said on Jan. 28 that Europe needs to take a unified stance on Huawei. “Talking to China, we can’t do it each state on its own. … we should act as Europe,” Loiseau said.

On Jan. 28, U.S. prosecutors announced 23 new charges against Huawei, with 13 of the charges also targeting the company’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou. Charges include bank fraud, obstruction of justice, and theft of technology. The emerging details have jangled nerves in Europe, but so far the bloc’s response has been disjointed. France, Germany, and the UK have all issued statements expressing concern but other states are said to be afraid of offending Beijing. Germany has separately said it is now actively considering banning Huawei from providing 5G technology in the country over security fears, prompting a furious response from the company.

Asked about the arrest of Meng, King said while he doesn’t want to comment on individual cases, the issue of “digital resilience” is very important, he said. “It’s an entirely legitimate European concern to try and take measures to reinforce our digital resilience because, after all, that digital resilience is crucial for protecting the business of our governments, industrial research, intellectual property, business plans, our elections, democratic institutions, as well as our own personal data,” King said. “We’re not going to walk away from this issue.”

https://www.theepochtimes.com/eu-officials-pledge-to-bolster-cyber-defenses-as-more-nations-call-for-unified-stance-on-huawei_2782959.html

>>4952977

You know I thought the same thing when I first looked at it months ago…given what we have learned about NBC's activities..I wonder if there is a connection there..

Chinese Telecommunications Device Manufacturer and its U.S. Affiliate Indicted for Theft of Trade Secrets, Wire Fraud, and Obstruction Of Justice

Huawei Corporate Entities Conspired to Steal Trade Secret Technology and Offered Bonus to Workers who Stole Confidential Information from Companies Around the World

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/chinese-telecommunications-device-manufacturer-and-its-us-affiliate-indicted-theft-trade

>>4953001

It seems to be a common theme with them 5G in the countries where they are doing business. China's interest in this is that they intend to be the world leader in AI..so there is that as well. I do believe the Chinese government protests too much!