What will the extradition of Meng Wanzhou mean for relations between Canada, China, and the U.S.?

There is the rule of law, and there’s politics – but what happens when you are a country like Canada stuck in the middle of an ugly legal battle between China and America?

This Monday, in Vancouver – a hearing is underway that will see one of the world’s titans victorious and the other, probably quite angry.

Legal arguments at the B.C. Supreme Court in the extradition case of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou may stretch into next year.

Crown lawyer Robert Frater told the court Wednesday that lawyers for both sides will propose a new schedule later this month that would bring the hearings to a close in early 2021 at the latest, instead of this fall.

The Unites States wants Canada to extradite Meng over allegations she misrepresented the company’s relationship with Skycom Tech Co., putting HSBC at risk of violating U.S. sanction against Iran, a charge both she and Huawei deny.

Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes dismissed the first phase of arguments last week by Meng’s lawyers who claimed the case should be thrown out because the U.S. allegations against her wouldn’t be a crime in Canada.  Global News - June 03

It has been a long and drawn out process and will likely stretch into this year, and odds are patience is wearing thin.

• Can any of the countries expect retaliation and what would that look like?
• Is the United State right seeking extradition of this official?
• Will a change at the Whitehouse see this effort dropped?
• And what are the underlying issues at play that may be attributing to this drama?

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Dr. Glen Duerr's research interests include comparative politics and international relations theory. Glen is an expert on this subject and is available to speak to media regarding this topic– simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.