Huawei's Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, wearing an electronic ankle tag, leaves her home for a court appearance in Vancouver, Canada, on October 1, 2019. Photo: VCG

Meng Wanzhou's case has always been a political persecution of the US, and Canada's unreasonable detention as an accomplice is a textbook example of coercion and violation of human rights, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said on Thursday at a routine press briefing, urging Canada to listen to China's voices and allow Meng to come back to her motherland.

During the latest proceedings, Canadian judges repeatedly raised questions and points of suspicion to fraud accusations made by the US against Meng, saying that the accusations were contradictory and unclear, while further exposing the inconsistencies of the Canadian side that has failed to justify itself, Hua said.

Meng's case has always been a political persecution from the very beginning, Hua stressed, with the real intention of the US to suppress China's high-tech enterprises and to contain China's development.

Canada, as the accomplice of the US in the case, bears an inescapable responsibility. "Meng has an elderly father and young children at home. Canada ignored the fact that she had never violated any Canadian laws, but detained her without any reason for nearly 1,000 days," Hua said. "Such behavior is a textbook example of coercion and violation of human rights."

"When Canada is boasting about defending human rights, has it ever occurred to them that they are violating the rights of Meng and her family?" asked Hua.

Hua said she has noticed the open letter that the Global Times sent to Canadian Ambassador to China Dominic Barton on Wednesday and the online petition that it launched in demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Meng. 

In less than 24 hours, over 7.5 million people have signed the petition, the Global Times has found. 

"This is the voice from China, and I hope Canada can listen to it," Hua said, expressing the hope that the Canadian government will show some independent spirit and courage to correct its misdeeds and release Meng back to her motherland.

The marathon extradition hearing for Meng concluded in the British Columbia Supreme Court, Canada, on Wednesday, and a ruling from the court is expected in the coming months, according to the hearing notes obtained by the Global Times on Thursday. 

Huawei Canada said in a statement it sent to the Global Times on Thursday morning that from the start, Huawei has been confident in Meng's innocence and it has trusted the Canadian judicial system.

Global Times