VANCOUVER (Reuters) - Huawei Technologies Co Ltd’s chief financial officer, the central figure in a high-stakes dispute between the world’s two largest economies, made her first appearance in a Canadian court in more than a month on Tuesday as Ottawa weighs extraditing the Chinese executive to the United States.
Meng Wanzhou, daughter of the Chinese telecommunications company’s founder, attended the hearing in British Columbia Supreme Court during which Justice William Ehrcke approved her request for a change in who is financially responsible for her bail.
Canada arrested Meng on Dec. 1 at the request of the United States, which on Monday brought sweeping charges against Huawei and Meng that paint the company as a threat to U.S. national security. Meng was charged with bank and wire fraud to violate American sanctions against Iran.
“I can confirm that the United States has filed a formal request with my department for the extradition of Ms. Meng,” Justice Minister David Lametti told reporters in Ottawa.
Canada’s government now has a month to decide whether the U.S. extradition request is strong enough to be presented in the British Columbia court. Lametti, asked whether a decision could come sooner than 30 days, said officials “will take the time that they need to make an enlightened decision based on the evidence in front of them.”
Neither Lametti nor Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland gave any hints on whether Canada would back the extradition request. Freeland told reporters Meng “has been afforded access to Canada’s impartial and objective judicial system.”
Ehrcke on Dec. 11 approved Meng’s release on C$10 million ($7.5 million) bail,
