Huawei finance chief Meng Wanzhou to appear in court as Chinese media react angrily to arrest

Washington accused of 'despicable rogue' tactics in ordering Ms Meng's detention

Meng Wanzhou is being sought for extradition by the US (EPA)

Huawei’s finance chief will appear at a bail hearing in Vancouver on Friday after she was detained at the request of the US.

Meng Wanzhou, daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested on Saturday – sparking a huge backlash in her defence in Chinese state media. No official reason has been given for the arrest but it is thought to be linked to alleged violations of US sanctions on Iran.

Stock markets calmed on Friday following a tumultuous session on Thursday as news of the detention prompted fears of a new front on the US-China trade war. The FTSE 100 was up 1.4 per cent to 6,800.56 in early trading as the dollar recovered, delivering a boost to multinationals.

The Global Times, a Chinese newspaper, said: “Obviously Washington is resorting to a despicable rogue’s approach as it cannot stop Huawei’s 5G advance in the market.”

Huawei, the world’s largest telecoms equipment manufacturer, recently surpassed Apple to become the second-biggest smartphone maker. It is seen as a national champion in China, while the US sees it as a competitor and potential security threat.

The China Daily said Ms Meng’s arrest was part of a plan by Washington to pressure its allies not to purchase Huawei’s goods.

“What is badly needed for the development of China-US ties is political trust,” the paper said. “Yet Washington, in persuading and pressuring its allies to shun cooperation with Huawei, has helped erode that political trust.”

Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau denied that there was any “engagement or involvement in the political level” in the decision to arrest Ms Meng.

A number of countries including the UK have expressed security concerns about Huawei. The US has been investigating the firm since 2016 and in April the Pentagon banned the sale of Huawei devices to US military bases because of fears over spying by Beijing.

Chinese technology firm ZTE almost collapsed earlier this year after Washington banned US companies from selling it a number of important pieces of hardware and software. The ban was ultimately lifted after ZTE agreed to pay a $1bn (£785m) fine.

On Friday, Huawei acceded to UK government demands to provide additional security assurances, the Financial Times reported.

Ms Meng’s arrest risks once again ramping up trade tensions between the US and China just days after Donald Trump and Chinese premier Xi Jinping agreed to a 90-day break on any further tariffs.

The US president tweeted a more hard-line approach on Tuesday. Referring to himself as a “tariff man”, Mr Trump said that if a “real deal” with Beijing could not be reached he would impose more taxes on Chinese imports.

A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said that detention without giving any reason “violates a person’s human rights”, adding: “We have made solemn representations to Canada and the US, demanding that both parties immediately clarify the reasons for the detention, and immediately release the detainee to protect the person’s legal rights.”

Huawei said it “complies with all applicable laws and regulations where it operates, including applicable export control and sanction laws and regulations of the UN, US and EU”.