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Jan. 30 (UPI) -- The United States has made an official request to Canada for the extradition of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Chinese telecom giant Huawei. Canadian Federal Justice Minister David Lametti has until March 1 to decide whether to proceed with the order of extradition, the Globe and Mail reported.
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The extradition request came shortly after the United States had unsealed a 10-count indictment against the Chinese company and a 13-count indictment against Meng on Monday.
The charges include bank fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice and sanction violations.
Meng, the 46-year-old daughter of Huawei's founder, was detained at the request of the United States Dec. 1, in Vancouver, Canada, where her family owns two homes, one of which she is currently staying at.
She says she is innocent, while China claims the charges are the product of political manipulation to hinder the Chinese business.
"Huawei has always said, and (Ms. Meng) has always said, that she has confidence in the administration of justice," Meng's lawyer David Martin said Tuesday. "She's confident in her innocence and in the justice system."
On Tuesday, China reasserted that both Meng and the company are innocent and admonished the states for its extradition request.
"We deplore and firmly oppose the U.S. side obstinately sending Canada an extradition request in disregard of China's stern representations," foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said during a regular press conference.
He then urged the United States to drop its extradition request and for Canada to "stop pulling the chestnuts out of the fire" for its North American neighbor.
Meng also appeared in a British Columbia court Tuesday concerning her request to change the sureties responsible for her $7.5 million bail, the Globe and Mail reported.
