China repeated a request today for Canada to release detained Huawei Technologies Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, as soon aspossible, ahead of the executive's first extradition hearing later in the day, Reuters reports. "The resolve of the Chinese government to protect Chinese citizens' proper legal rights is firm and unwavering," foreign ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, told reporters during a daily briefing. He called Meng's case a "serious political matter.'' Meng, daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested at Vancouver International Airport on December 1, 2018, at the request of the United States, where she is charged with bank fraud and accused of misleading the bank HSBC about Huawei Technologies' business in Iran. Meng has said she is innocent and is fighting extradition.

Source: The Standard January 20, 2020 11:26 UTC