‘We didn’t know!’... Trump and Trudeau distance themselves from arrest of Huawei heiress

Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau claimed they were unaware of plans to arrest a top executive at Huawei in Canada  

Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau claimed they were unaware of plans to arrest a top executive at Chinese telecoms giant Huawei in Canada.  

Huawei Technologies Co Ltd’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, the 46-year-old daughter of the company’s founder, was detained in Canada on December 1.   

The leaders moved to distance themselves they had any knowledge of the arrest amid fears it could harm trade agreements with China.   

It came on the same day Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping dined together at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires.  

Meng faces extradition to the US over alleged violations of American sanctions against Iran.  

A White House official told Reuters Trump did not know about a US request for her extradition from Canada before he met Xi and agreed to a 90-day truce in the brewing trade war.  

Meanwhile Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said officers who arrested her Saturday as she was changing planes in Vancouver had acted on their own.  

Citing a court-ordered publication ban sought by Meng, Trudeau declined to comment further on the case, which according to a US senator was brought over Huawei’s activities in Iran. 
Canada, (Daily Mail), 7 December 2018

Stocks plummet: China demands release of Huawei’s CFO   

(Daily Mail), 6 December 2018 -  
The arrest of a top executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei at the request of US authorities has caused markets to plunge worldwide as tensions between two countries soar.  

News broke on Wednesday that the 46-year-old Meng faces extradition to the U.S. over alleged violations of American sanctions against Iran, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunging more than 700 points on Thursday morning.  

By the closing bell, the Dow had rebounded on assurances from China that negotiations are proceeding. Asian and European markets were also roiled, as the arrest threatens to derail a recent trade war truce between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, potentially sending the world’s two largest economies back into a disruptive tariff battle.