Huawei says it trusts Canada's judicial system as CFO's extradition hearings begin
Updated 10:44, 21-Jan-2020
Ge Yunfei
00:34

A spokesperson for Chinese telecom giant Huawei expressed confidence in Canada's judicial system as the company's chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, attended a highly anticipated court hearing in Vancouver.

In a video statement, Huawei spokesperson Benjamin Howes reiterated Huawei's position that it is inappropriate for the company to give specific comments on the ongoing legal proceedings. Huawei trusts Canada's judicial system, which would prove Meng's innocence, he said.

This week's trial will run until January 24 in Vancouver. The court will hear arguments related to whether the crime Meng is accused of by the U.S. meets Canada's "double criminality" standard for extradition.

Meng's lawyers are expected to argue that she cannot be turned over to the U.S. because the U.S. case involves the alleged violation of sanctions against Iran that do not exist in Canada, thus the standard of "double criminality" is not met.

Meng could be released if the court finds this week that the "double criminality" standard does not apply. However, Meng's case may also take months or years to end even if the case meets the standard.