Huawei top woman was arrested for espionage in the United States

The arrest of Huawei chief executive Meng Wanzhou appears to have been prompted by suspicions of espionage. The case began with a national security investigation, commissioned by then-President Obama.

That says The New York Times based on court documents and interviews with unnamed individuals involved in the case. Although the top woman of Huawei, who works as a CFO at the company, has been officially arrested for violating sanctions against Iran, the suspicions against her would lie elsewhere. The United States has suspected for years that Huawei, as an extension of the Chinese government, has espionage activities.

Although suspicions of fraud related to the Iranian sanctions were not the main reason for the Huawei CFO to be arrested, this charge was chosen because it is easier to prove than a national security case, according to The New York Times.

The investigation was launched by then-President Obama, who suspected Chinese companies, including Huawei, of spying on behalf of the Chinese government. In recent years, researchers are said to have found evidence that Huawei employees were working on behalf of the Chinese authorities, but a legal case in this area would be “complicated”. Next, the bank HSBC was looked at, where Huawei was a customer. The bank would have been used to do business with Iran, something that is prohibited under sanctions law. That was then used as a reason to still arrest the Huawei top woman.

Huawei has responded to the arrest. The company confirms the extradition requested by the US, speaks of “unspecified allegations” and says it has complied with all applicable rules. The Chinese embassy in Ottawa has asked for the immediate release of the Huawei executive. She has since been released on bail pending extradition to the US, but she is not allowed to leave the country.