The arrest of a prominent Chinese technology executive traveling overseas sparked concerns that American executives may be vulnerable to retaliation, with some experts advising a…
The arrest of a prominent Chinese technology executive traveling overseas sparked concerns that American executives may be vulnerable to retaliation, with some experts advising a reconsideration of travel plans.
Canadian authorities on Dec. 1 arrested Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies Co. and daughter of the cellular-technology giant’s founder, at the request of U. S. officials following her arrival at a Vancouver airport. Canada is one of more than 100 countries that have extradition treaties with the U. S.
Huawei said it isn’t aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng and that the company complies with laws and regulations everywhere it operates.
Some diplomats, policy experts and lawyers in both China and the U. S. said the arrest could add a confrontational and personalized dimension to bilateral tensions and raised the possibility that the Chinese would retaliate.
“Do you want to be the one that tests it?” said James Lewis, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank.
Rather than target American executives, China could choose to take a different tack. As the Trump administration has escalated its trade fight this year, Beijing has sought to portray itself as more fair, rule-abiding and business-friendly than the U. S.
In response to questions about possible retaliation, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, said in a regular briefing Friday that “China always protects the legitimate rights and interests of foreigners in China according to the law, but I believe certainly they should abide by Chinese laws and regulations.
