Meng Wanzhou: Canadian court frees detained Chinese Huawei executive

Executive ordered to reappear on February 6

A judge has granted bail to detained Chinese telecom executive Meng Wanzhou, potentially preventing the escalation of an international row between China and the US.

Almost two weeks after the 46-year-old was detained in Vancouver at the request of US authorities seeking her extradition, a judge granted bail to the Huawei executive.

The judge said the executive, the daughter of the firm’s founder, had to pay a bond of C$10 (USD $7.5m) and follow several conditions, including the surrendering of her passports and the wearing of an ankle bracelet.

The detention of the executive had threatened to further complicate relations between the US and China, which Donald Trump has previously threatened with a trade war. China had threatened severe consequences unless Canada released Ms Meng immediately.

On Tuesday, Justice William Ehrcke, at a hearing in Vancouver, British Columbia, granted bail to Meng, who has been accused of misleading multinational banks about Iran-linked transactions, putting the banks at risk of violating US sanctions.

Reuters said a Canadian citizen had been detained in China, according to the authorities. The Canadian government said it saw no explicit link to the Huawei case, but analysts had predicted retaliation from Beijing. Two sources told the news agency that the person detained was former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig, who now works for a think tank.

Guy Saint-Jacques, Canada’s former ambassador to China, asked by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp whether the detention of Mr Kovrig, was a coincidence, said: “In China there are no coincidences…If they want to send you a message they will send you a message.”

Ms Meng was detained as part of a US investigation on December 1 as she was changing planes in Vancouver.