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Huawei CFO's Lawyer Says Canadian Extradition Case Politically Motivated

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou's attorney argued in a Vancouver court that her extradition case in Canada is politically motivated, citing remarks made by US President Donald Trump, media reported.
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Richard Peck, Meng's attorney, said during a court hearing at the Supreme Court of British Columbia on Wednesday that Meng's case is politically motivated after Trump indicated he may use it as a means of leverage in the ongoing US-China trade negotiations, the Washington Post reported.

Meng's next hearing is scheduled for May 8, which is when the court will set a date for an extradition hearing in her case, the report said.

Huawei’s Plan to File Lawsuit Against US Government ‘Very Valid’
Meng, the daughter of Huawei's founder, was arrested in Vancouver last December at the United States' request, reportedly on suspicions of failing to comply with US sanctions against Iran. The arrest was decried by Beijing, which demanded that Canadian authorities immediately release the Chinese national.

Huawei has insisted Meng has done nothing illegal.

READ MORE: Huawei Sues US Over Law Banning Government Agencies From Using Its Equipment

Notably, the company has recently been accused by the United States, as well as a number of other countries, of stealing commercial information. Washington also said it suspected Huawei of working for the government of China, the US adversary and the country which is engaged in a major trade spat with Washington. Huawei has dismissed claims about its cooperation with the authorities and pleaded not guilty to trade secret theft charges.

Chinese tech giant Huawei's lawsuit against the US government's ban on using its products in federal agencies is completely lawful and justified, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Thursday.

"Concerning the matter of Huawei filing a lawsuit against the US government, we believe that the company's desire to protect its interests in a legal manner is completely lawful and justified," Kang said at a briefing.

The spokesman also noted that China had already lodged representations with the US government when the ban became public law in August, but did not have information on whether the Chinese government would also be filing a lawsuit against the United States.

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