China urges re-elected Canadian government to free Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou

Meng Wanzhou returns to a court hearing in Vancouver in September 2019. PHOTO: REUTERS

BEIJING (REUTERS) - China's Foreign Ministry on Wednesday (Nov 6) urged Canada's re-elected Liberal Party government to immediately release detained Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou.

Mr Geng Shuang, a spokesman at the ministry, made the comment at a regular news briefing.

Meng has been detained in Vancouver since December last year.

She is charged in the United States with bank fraud, and is accused of misleading HSBC Holdings about Huawei Technologies' business in Iran, which is under US sanctions.

Meng has said she is innocent and is fighting extradition to the US.

China detained two Canadian men shortly after police arrested Meng on a US warrant.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals held on to power after an election in October, although it was reduced to a minority government that needs the support in Parliament of a smaller left-leaning party.

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.