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Canada moves closer to extradition of Huawei's Meng Wanzhou

By Danielle Haynes
British Columbia's Supreme Court scheduled a Wednesday hearing for the next step in the extradition process. File Photo by Maxim Shipenkov/EPA-EFE
British Columbia's Supreme Court scheduled a Wednesday hearing for the next step in the extradition process. File Photo by Maxim Shipenkov/EPA-EFE

March 1 (UPI) -- The Canadian government on Friday said it would allow the extradition of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou to the United States to proceed.

Canada's Department of Justice decided to proceed with the United States' request so that Meng can faces charges of bank fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice and sanctions violations.

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Canada arrested Meng, the 46-year-old daughter of Huawei's founder, Dec. 1 upon request of the United States. She says she is innocent, while China says the charges are the product of political manipulation to hinder the Chinese business.

The United States accused Meng of violating trade sanctions against Iran. In April, the U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into whether Huawei, which manufactures smartphones and other electronics, sold equipment to Iran despite sanctions on exporting to the region.

In August, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a bill banning the government from using Huawei technology based on the security concerns. U.S. authorities were concerned that Huawei and other companies could install equipment in the devices that would let them monitor users in the United States. Huawei has denied those allegations.

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Huawei is the world's largest telecommunications manufacturer with revenue of $92.55 billion in 2017.

British Columbia's Supreme Court scheduled a court hearing for Wednesday, at which time officials plan to schedule an extradition hearing.

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