A Canadian court has granted bail to the top executive of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei. Meng Wanzhou was arrested at the United States' request in a case that has set off a diplomatic furor among the three countries and complicated high-stakes U.S.-China trade talks.
The judge is setting a string of strict conditions on Meng, who is facing possible extradition to the U.S. while releasing her on 10 million Canadian-dollar bail.
Meng is required her to wear an ankle bracelet, surrender her passports, stay in Vancouver and its suburbs and confine herself to one of her two Vancouver homes from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Justice William Ehrcke of the Supreme Court of British Columbia says he is satisfied Meng, a well-educated businesswomen with letters of reference, does not pose a flight risk.
Meng is the chief financial officer of telecommunications giant Huawei and also the daughter of its founder. She was detained at the request of the U.S. during a layover at the Vancouver airport on December 1st, the same day that Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping of China agreed to a 90-day cease-fire in a trade dispute that threatens to disrupt global commerce.
The U.S. has accused Huawei of using a Hong Kong shell company to sell equipment in Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. It also says that Meng and Huawei misled banks about the company's business dealings in Iran.
On Monday, China detained former Canadian diplomat, Michael Kovrig, in Beijing in apparent retaliation.
There is no word tonight whether Kovrig, who works for the International Crisis Group, will be released following the latest developments in Meng's case here in Canada.
Earlier in the day, there were reports the Canadian Government was considering issuing an increase in the risk level for Canadians travelling to China, in light of heightened tensions.
Meantime, President Donald Trump says he would consider intervening in the Justice Department's case against Meng if it would be in the interest of U.S. national security and help forge a trade deal with China.
Trump told Reuters in an interview today at the White House that if he thinks it would be good for what will "certainly be the largest trade deal ever made'' he would intervene if necessary.
With files from The Associated Press and files from Heather Seaman