Huawei’s chief financial officer Wanzhou Meng has been arrested on suspicion of violating sanctions against Iran. Chinese authorities are furious at the arrest, which could lead to further tensions between the United States and China.

Chinese Huawei’s chief financial officer, Wanzhou Meng, has been arrested in Canada and could be extradited to the United States.

A spokesperson for the Canadian Department of Justice confirms that Wanzhou Meng was arrested on the orders of US authorities.

Due to the ban on the publication of information in the case, no one has yet confirmed what she is suspected of.

Sources tell a number of international media outlets that US authorities suspect Meng of violating US trade sanctions against Iran.

According to the spokesperson, a so-called “bail hearing”, during which the court will decide whether she can be released on bail, is scheduled for Friday.

In addition to the chief financial officer, Meng is also vice chairman of Huawei’s board of directors and daughter of the company’s founder, Ren Zhengfei.

US authorities are investigating whether Huawei has violated US trade rules since at least 2016, according to the report. The Globe and Mail.

Authorities have investigated whether the company has transported products from the United States to Iran and other countries subject to US export and sanctions laws.

Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal wrote that Huawei was under investigation for selling equipment from US computer company Hewlett-Packard to Iran.

China is raging

In a statement on its website, the Chinese Embassy in Canada criticizes the United States and Canada for the arrest.

– Canadian police have, at the request of the United States, arrested a Chinese citizen who did not violate any American or Canadian law, the embassy spokesman wrote in the statement.

– China firmly opposes this act which violates the human rights of the victim, continues the embassy.

At the same time, the embassy demands that the director of finance be released immediately. They also stress that they will closely monitor the progress of the case to ensure Meng’s rights.

Huawei: Not Aware Something Bad Happened

The mobile phone company writes in a statement that it is not aware that the CFO has done anything wrong, writes NTB.

– She was temporarily arrested during a layover and faces an unspecified charge in New York. Huawei is confident that legal protection in Canada and the United States will eventually come to a correct statement, the company writes.

They further say that they received very little information about the case.

At the same time, Huawei declares that it complies with all applicable laws where it operates, including export control and UN, US and EU sanctions and regulations.

– An aggressive gesture

Unlike companies such as Tencent and Alibaba, Huawei has a broad international presence. The company operates in China, Europe and America. Analyst Niel Campling of Mirabaud Securities explains that the company has grown into a huge global enterprise.

– 5G standards are at the center of the broader intellectual property debate and that’s why the United States and its allies are now doing what they can to cut ties with Chinese IP technology, Campling told Bloomberg.

Rabobank’s chief financial officer in Asia, Michael Every, believes the arrest is an aggressive move by US authorities.

– China is already asking for his release, which is expected. If the suspicions are serious, the United States should not be expected to shut down the case, Every told Bloomberg.