Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou's extradition hearing set for next year

June 7 (UPI) -- A British Columbia Supreme Court judge accepted a proposal by the defense of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou to begin her extraction hearing in January, more than a year after her arrest.

Defense lawyer David Martin offered a series of court dates Thursday that could see her extradition trial extend until October 2020, CBC reported.

It was the most "aggressive" schedule possible and would be a "record" concerning the complications of the hearing, he said.

Meng, who was absent from the hearing Thursday, was arrested at the request of the United States Dec. 1, 2018, while arriving at Vancouver's international airport. She currently faces 13 counts of conspiracy, fraud, obstruction and sanction violation charges in relation to business conducted with her company.

Martin said the timeline allows for the court to deal with the issue of dual criminality.

Under Canada's Extradition Act, dual criminally stats that the offence must be reviewed to ensure that it would be considered a crime if it had taken place Canada.

Though the extradition case will commence Jan. 20, 2019, the defense will be making a week-long disclosure application in court starting Sept. 23.

Meng's arrest has raised tensions between China and Canada. Most recently, Canada chastised China in uncharacteristically harsh terms over its treatment of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

China also apprehended two Canadians -- diplomat Michael Spavor and businessman Micael Kovrig -- in the days following Meng's arrest and charged them with espionage after Canada decided to begin the process to extradite her to the United States.