Huawei publishes letter from Meng Wanzhou on anniversary of her arrest

Chinese tech mogul Meng Wanzhou has penned a letter thanking her supporters on the anniversary of her arrest in Vancouver.

In an English-language post on the company’s website on Sunday, the CFO of Huawei said she’s learned to “face up to and accept my situation.”

“I’m no longer afraid of the unknown,” she wrote.

Meng, the daughter of the smartphone company’s founder, is currently out on bail awaiting possible extradition to America on charges related to violation of U.S. sanctions on Iran.

Meng said her “heart has been warmed” by the support she has received since her arrest, referencing gestures from Huawei colleagues, “netizens” and others.

She was also “deeply moved” by the kindness of Canadians, she said.

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“Thanks to the kindness of the correctional officers and other inmates at the Alouette Correctional Centre for Women, I was able to make it through the worst days of my life,” she wrote. “When the judge announced that I was granted bail, the applause in the public gallery made me burst into tears.”

Relations between Canada and China have soured in the year following Meng’s arrest.

China’s ambassador to Canada, who visited Meng last week, reiterated Beijing’s calls for Canada to “correct its mistake” and let her go.

Meng was taken into the custody in Vancouver at the behest of U.S. authorities last year.

The U.S. Department of Justice has laid 13 criminal charges, including conspiracy, fraud and obstruction, against Huawei and Meng. The indictment accuses Huawei and Meng of misrepresenting their ownership of Skycom, a Hong Kong-based subsidiary, between 2007 and 2017 in an effort to circumvent U.S. sanctions against Iran.

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Meng denies wrongdoing and the allegations have not been tested in court.

Shortly after her arrest, China detained two Canadians on allegations they compromised national security — a move widely seen as retaliation.

Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor remain in jail in China. Canada has condemned their arrests as arbitrary, and new Foreign Affairs minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says securing their release is his “absolute priority.” 

Earlier this year, China also suspended imports of Canadian canola and some meat products, though the latter ban was lifted.

The turmoil between China and Canada also comes as Ottawa mulls a ban on Huawei infrastructure for the upcoming 5G network over security concerns.

–With files from The Canadian Press