China blames Canada for 'gross difficulties' in relationship, demands Huawei exec be freed

Published On: August 22, 2019 08:00 PM NPT By: Reuters

FILE PHOTO: A man walks past a sign board of Huawei at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) Asia 2018 in Shanghai, China June 14, 2018. REUTERS/Aly Song

OTTAWA, Aug 22: The Chinese embassy in Canada said on Thursday that bilateral ties were suffering “gross difficulties” and demanded Ottawa free Huawei Technologies Co Ltd chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou.

Relations have been icy since Meng was detained in Vancouver last December on a U.S. warrant. The embassy said in a statement that “Canada should release Ms. Meng Wanzhou immediately and ensure her safe return to China, and bring bilateral relations back onto the right track”.