Huawei chief cites Trump comments as reason she can’t be extradited to US

Pending case could be used as negotiating tactic in trade talks with China, the President said

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

Huawei’s chief financial officer has cited comments made by President Donald Trump as a reason she cannot be extradited to the United States.

Meng Wanzhou, 47, faces extradition from Canada, where she was arrested in December on charges related to Iran sanctions violations and where she remains on house arrest.

But in December, Trump suggested he would be open to using the pending case as a negotiating tactic in trade talks with China, saying he would “intervene” if he decided it was necessary.

Ms Wanzhou’s lawyers now argue his comments disqualify the United States from pursuing the matter in Canada. Her spokesman Benjamin Howes said on Wednesday there are “political factors” behind the arrest, adding Ms Wanzhou’s rights have been violated.

“The criminal case against Miss Meng is based on allegations that are simply untrue,” he said.

Huawei have also said in a statement that the case is “guided by political considerations and tactics, not by the rule of law”.

Ms Wanzhou was arrested at Vancouver airport in December on an American arrest warrant and must now wear an electronic ankle bracelet and pay for her own security guards while living in an up-market house in Vancouver.

It is alleged Ms Wanzhou misled global banks about Huawei’s relationship with Skycom, a company that operates in Iran, and in doing so violated U.S. laws.

But Ms Wanzhou’s lawyers claim she was unlawfully detained, searched and interrogated at the airport. They say there is no evidence she misrepresented Huawei's relationship with Skycom to HSBC, which put the bank at risk of wrongdoing.

Scott Fenton, Ms Wanzhou’s defence lawyer, said her rights "were placed in total suspension" during her three hour detention at the airport in December.

Ms Wanzhou's case has attracted global attention and sparked a diplomatic crisis between Beijing and Ottawa, with China demanding her release.

The next court date in the process has been set for 23 September, while the formal extradition hearings are expected to begin next January.