Thursday, October 7, 2021

The Meng Deal and Its Ripples 孟一案安排及其余波

 


Abstract: The Meng case is resolved. Some would say all three countries are happy, and each side may have won a little bit (the two Michaels back for Canada, admission to the Statement of Facts by Meng which could be used against Huawei later on, and Meng back home without pleading guilty for China). Canada, the United States and China all deny there was any deal or negotiation to liberate the two Canadian detainees in return for the release of Huawei’s chief financial officer. There has been a lot of argument in Meng’s case on whether she should be extradited, including whether Huawei has a clear control of Skycom. It was regarded by some experts as part of the US government’s strategy to thwart the rise of the Chinese telecom and hence was politically motivated. A telephone discussion between President Biden and President Xi Jinping may have brought some positive result for this case. According to Chas Freeman, the detention of Meng and the jailing of the two Michaels by China, has not only deepened tensions between Washington and Beijing. It’s also sent the Canada-China relationship to its lowest point in history. Very seldom are individual people involved in international business disputes with the exception of Meng and the Novatek CFO in a recent arrest. Canada needs to think soberly and independently before taking action, and perform better on the world stage by consistently matching rhetoric and reason to realistic actions.

 

Key Words: China, Meng and Huawei, global trade, international relations

 

The Meng case is resolved. Some would say all three countries are happy, and each side may have won a little bit (the two Michaels back for Canada, admission to the Statement of Facts by Meng which could be used against Huawei later on, and Meng back home without pleading guilty for China). However, according to the Foreign Minister of China, Canada has a lot of questions to answer, and it will take a long time to mend fences[i]. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the department would continue efforts to block Huawei from getting advanced chips though trade with China could be renewed under the condition that national security is safe-guarded. In the congratulatory message US Secretary of State Antony Blinken sent to China a on its National Day, there was a subtle difference with the additional sentence “the United States seeks to work cooperatively to solve the challenges we all face”[ii].

 

I. Introduction to the Meng Deal

1. Arrest of Meng

On Sept 1, 2018, Huawei’s CFO Wanzhou Meng was detained at the Vancouver International Airport on her way to Mexico, and she was later put on a house arrest for 3 years until her release with a deferred prosecution agreement arrangement on 24 Sept 2021. If Meng complies with her obligations, the U.S. will move to dismiss the charges against her at the end of the deferral period. If she doesn't, she can still be prosecuted before 1 Sept 2022[iii].

 

Meng was accused of misrepresenting Huawei’s relationship with another telecom equipment seller doing business in Iran during a PowerPoint presentation in August 3013 to HSBC, allegedly defrauding the international bank and putting it at risk of violating U.S. sanctions against Iran. However, according to employees in Huawei, Huawei was out of Iran after 2012. The meeting between Meng and HSBC executives was an entrapment operation as it was unnecessary, but HSBC wanted to avoid being punished by the US.

 

2. The Meng Deal

The Meng deal is that Meng had to admit the Statement of Facts, and that she had to abide by other obligations like not committing other crimes until Sept 1, 2022. Also, she could not contradict anything in the Statement of Facts, state, suggest or imply that her entry into the DPA was involuntary. Nor could she sue the US and its agents for personal injury and monetary damages[iv]. This happened all of a sudden.

 

Meng’s initial hope at a quick release was quashed when Holmes ruled that her case met the double criminality requirement of Canada’s extradition law. In addition, Meng’s team failed to convince the court to grant her access to confidential documents on the circumstances of her arrest. Meng was recently dealt with yet another setback when the court ruled that HSBC’s hundreds of pages of documents to Huawei under a legal settlement could not be admitted as evidence.

 

Guy Saint-Jacques, a former Canadian ambassador to China, predicted that Holmes was unlikely to render her decision before November: “There is a small chance that she will agree with the defense that the rights of Meng were not respected when she was arrested. However, the more realistic scenario is that the judge will recommend extradition be granted.”[v]

 

Jorome Cohen of NYC School of Law Professor said, “my impression is that the indictment was based on the usual legal criteria and process”. “However, if I were the trial judge, I would deny it on the ground that Trump’s intervention [with respect to] trade rendered the request too political to allow extradition.” He continued[vi].

 

3. The Two Michaels

9 days after Meng’s arrest, Canadian businessman Michael Spavor and former Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig were detained in China. Beijing subsequently leveled espionage charges against Spavor and Kovrig. On August 10, 2021, Spavor was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Kovrig was likely to face an even harsher conviction as Spavor sometimes reported to him[vii]. It was reported by Chinese media that they were bailed out with guarantee from the Canadian Ambassador to China in connection with their sickness, and they confessed to their crimes and pleaded guilty before being released. Their term was set almost the same as that of Meng[viii]. While Marc Garneau referred their imprisonment as “arbitrary detention”, CSIS Canada tweeted “Welcome home #Michaels (Canadian Flag Logo)” on 24 Sept 2021. According to the Toronto Star, Canada, the United States and China all deny there was any deal or negotiation to liberate the two Canadian detainees in return for the release of Huawei’s chief financial officer[ix].

 

4. Comparison of Meetings at the Airport

Meng was met by a large crowd together with some of the local leaders and offered flowers. She made an emotional speech in a glaring red suit. The two Michaels were met by the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and some of their relatives and friends with no flowers or speech. It was touching to see Kovrig hugging with his separated wife at the Toronto Airport, and the author highly recommend casting away differences and reconciling in spite of the past no matter it is for individuals or countries.

 

II. Argument over Justification of Meng’s Extradition

1. Legal Reasons

1) Based on Evidence and Laws

Meng’s team of Canadian counsels had laid out a four-pronged legal argument: that the extradition request from the U.S. violated international law; that both U.S. and Canadian officials had waded into the legal debate, soiling the process with politics; that the Canadian border authorities violated Meng’s Charter rights; that the U.S. provided faulty evidence, which constituted an abuse of process.

 

The US District Court in Eastern District Court of New York maintains that Huawei and Meng has concealed its controlling relationship of Skycom. However, whether a person or business has significant control over a company can clearly be defined by more than 25% shares in the company or 25% of the voting rights or rights to appoint or remove a majority of the board of directors[x]. After reading the DPA, its attachments, and the news release by the district court, the writer has found no part that has verified the above[xi]. According to the Statement of Facts, during the Relevant Time Period, “Huawei controlled Skycom’s business operations in Iran, and Skycom was owned by an entity controlled by Huawei. All significant Skycom business decisions were made by Huawei.” The wording was vague, and no specific data was used to prove the relationship.

 

From court transcripts, Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes raised several doubts about the prosecutors’ arguments. She challenged the Crown: If Meng had not already disclosed the controllable relationship between Huawei and Skycom, how could Meng be in a position to give assurance to HSBC about Skycom’s compliance with U.S. laws?

 

“[In] the fraud case, there do appear to be real problems with the U.S. Department of Justice’s prosecution case. There’s conflicting evidence even out of HSBC itself,” said Sandy Garossino, a columnist for Canada’s National Observer and a former Crown prosecutor and trial lawyer who once worked with Holmes[xii].

 

2) Based on Cases

Robert J. Hanlon, associate professor of international relations and Asian politics at Thompson Rivers University, argued that in most comparable cases, the corporation – rather than individual executives – is held accountable. Airbus agreed to pay over $3.9 billion in penalties to resolve the Foreign Bribery and ITAR case. Likewise, in 2015, Deutsche Bank was fined $258 million for violating Iran- and Syria-related sanctions. But no executives were detained upon stepping off a plane[xiii].

 

Also, there were many American businesses that were still trading with Iran during the time of embargo, but no case was reported to have been punished.

 

2. Political Reasons

10 days after Men’s arrest, President Trump told Reuters news agency, “If I think it’s good for what will be the largest trade deal ever made — which is a very important thing — what’s good for national security, I would certainly intervene if I thought it was necessary.”[xiv]

 

Meng’s case was regarded by some experts as part of the US government’s strategy to thwart the rise of the Chinese telecom and hence was politically motivated. Meng was accused of violating U.S. sanctions on Iran. In 2018, the U.S. pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. That deal lifted sanctions on Iran but put limits on its nuclear program. But by pulling out, the U.S. restored those sanctions. However, Canada is still part of that deal.

 

“There are issues about the political character, political motivation, comments by the U.S. president,” Richard Peck said.She could argue there appears to be a pre-disposition, an anti-Chinese pre-disposition and therefore this would be a witch trial because she was Chinese, because of the claim that Huawei was really part of the Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party and so she would never get a fair trial,” said Leo Adler when interviewed by CNBC, a Toronto-based criminal lawyer with expertise in extradition cases[xv].

 

If the case were not politically motivated, why wouldn’t the US government penalize some of its own businesses for secretly trading with Iran? Also, people may remember the saying that history may tell us how a rise or fall comes, and others’ behavior may tell us what could be proper things to do. A look back at Alstom in France during 2013-2014 (the executive Frederic Pierucci was put in prison for more than 2 years, the company was fined US$772 million and its energy section later taken over by General Electric[xvi]) and recently Novatek in Russia (the CFO was arrested[xvii]), people may understand what is going on. One day after release of Meng Wanzhou, the US went on to arrest her counterpart in Novatek, Russia's second-largest natural gas producer. This move comes in parallel with US anxieties over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which has shaken up geopolitics in Europe. According to a Novatek spokeswoman, the US authorities did not notify the company beforehand. Is this a coincident? Can’t we say that the event is politically motivated?

 

III. Reasons for the Release of Meng

1. Efforts for a Diplomatic Breakthrough and a Departure from the Trump Way

The withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan was regarded by General Milley as a strategic failure, and American image on the world stage was not as brilliant as before. With a new security pact reached among the US, Britain and Australia, France and Canada were angry and concerned. At home, although the temporary budget was passed, the risk to close the White House is still there in two months, and the Republicans are eager to increase the limit for the Treasury debt. Actually, the US government debt crisis in 2011 sparked the most volatile week for financial markets since the 2008 crisis, with the stock market trending significantly downward. Prices of government bonds ("Treasuries") rose as investors, anxious over the dismal prospects of the US economic future and the ongoing European sovereign-debt crisis, fled into the still-perceived relative safety of US government bonds. Later that week, the credit-rating agency Standard & Poor's downgraded the credit rating of the United States government for the first time in the country's history[xviii]. Besides the debt ceiling crisis, there other problems like the Black Lives Matter Movement sponsored by Soros and the divisive Trump force.

 

On 9 Sept the US President Joe Biden made a telephone discussion with the Chinese President Xi Jinping. This discussion, as President Biden made clear, was part of the United States’ ongoing effort to responsibly manage the competition between the United States and the PRC. The United States’ enduring interest in peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and the world were underscored, and the two leaders discussed the responsibility of both nations to ensure competition does not veer into conflict[xix].

 

After a seven-month review, the Biden administration has unveiled its trade strategy with China, which, in essence, a continuation of the stance of Donald Trump. The only real change for now is the reopening of a procedure to allow US companies, which have complained about paying tariffs on essential Chinese parts, to apply for exclusion from tariffs. They are reluctant to take trade measures that could be portrayed as hurting American workers is understandable. But the White House could at least have tried to reorientate the agenda of talks rather than settling for inertia[xx].

 

2. Efforts to Change the Status-Quo in Fighting Huawei

Meng was held for three years, yet Huawei was getting stronger and stronger. The US would like to use another strategy to solve the problem and take a step backward in order to move forward.

 

3. Need for Chinese Help

While the US government has accumulated the debt of US$1.7 trillion in a year[xxi], there are not so many countries that can help. Moreover, American energies and agricultural products need to find consistent venue. All of these lead to the two big countries to the negotiation table.

 

IV. Impacts of the Event

1. States

1) China

Through the deal, China demonstrates to the world that the American long-arm jurisdiction may no longer work as before, and that China can daringly stand up and fight against what it thinks unfair and unjustified with its great public support, large-state diplomacy and execution efficiency. However, many Western people may become more suspicious of its governance and rule of law, although all three countries deny the connection of Meng’s arrangement with the two Michaels’ release (in spite of the fact that the Chinese government quietly signalled its willingness to exchange prisoners for some time[xxii]), and release of the two Michaels at the same time with Meng doesn’t necessarily mean that the two Michaels are hostages held for retaliation. Moreover, the lack of confidence and trust in China is still strong, and Huawei and other similar companies are going to continue to face business blockades or boycotts.

 

2) US

The Men event may mark a milestone for the American extradition law system as its long governing custom is being challenged together with its value of freedom and the Sino-US strategic cooperative relationship since Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao as even General Milley is being questioned (though he said he was acting on instructions and the calling was part of the Sino-US dialogue structure) about his intent to call the Chinese counterpart earlier this year when Trump was about to attack China. As China is going to use its countermeasures and other countries may follow suit, the US may have to find other ways to deal with China. The US and the EU agreed in June to end their 17-year dispute over aircraft subsidies, lifting the threat of billions of dollars in punitive tariffs. They also launched a Trade and Technology Council in Pittsburgh in late September 2021 to co-ordinate approaches on key global issues, at an early stage.

For a White House determined to counter China’s growing influence, it would be a sizeable geopolitical setback to stay out of CPTPP and let China step in it[xxiii].

 

The US unique position is reliant on the US Dollar as the global reserve currency. When people ask if the US can print money forever, the answer will be yes. In simplest terms, as Modern Monetary Theory economists assert, perhaps the Fed can “print money” forever. Well, unless China can demonstrate it has the technological know-how, political will and economic strength to threaten the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency, of course[xxiv]. Actually the Euro Dollar has been the target of several financial crises, and there was speculation of the US hand behind the IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s step down. Strauss-Kahn was appointed managing director of the IMF on 28 September 2007, with the backing of then–President of France Nicolas Sarkozy. He served in that capacity until his resignation on 18 May 2011, in the wake of an allegation that he had sexually assaulted a hotel maid who had lied about the encounter[xxv].

 

3) Canada

Through this event, Canada may have learned that it needs to pay a price if it listens to or follows the northern brother without any doubt or consideration. This event may prompt Canada to seek a more pragmatic and realistic approach in diplomatic relationships due to its weakened world image in terms of independence and self-reliance. Although Chinese Ambassador Cong has begun to openly participate in trade and export activities in Canada and the farmers are looking forward to more exports of potash, canola, barley, oats and pork, the trade future is still unclear, and there is lower level of confidence and trust between each other (note that Cynicism of China’s motives ranged from 65% of respondents in Alberta to 63% in Saskatchewan[xxvi]). A Nanos poll done earlier in September of 2021 found that 63% believe Canada needs to be more forceful in its relations with China[xxvii]. Well, will three stooges top one wise man? Decision-making may not need the agreement of all the people though they may be listened to.

 

According to Chas Freeman (note that Chas Freeman is a renowned retired American diplomat serving previously as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, and Director for Chinese Affairs at the U.S. Department of State[xxviii]), The United States, assisted by Canada, took Meng hostage in the first place as part of its trade-and-technology war with China.The detention of Meng and the jailing of the two Michaels by China shortly after, has not only deepened tensions between Washington and Beijing. It’s also sent the Canada-China relationship to its lowest point in history. Diplomatically, by releasing Meng, the Biden administration has checked an item off of Beijing’s list of preconditions for improving bilateral ties, potentially paving the way for a summit between President Biden and Chinese President Xi. According to Freeman, there is no need for Justice Minister David Lametti to make any decisions, even though he (or Jody Wilson-Raybould before him) could have ended the process at any point within the extradition treaty framework. Ottawa welcomes the U.S. move, and claims victory that its insistence on the rule of law and no-interference in legal process has prevailed. Some tough questions need to be asked. Should Ottawa have arrested Meng in the first place? Why did this final package deal take so long if a “hostage exchange” is the result? Why did the Canadian government decide to depend on Washington to work out a deal with Beijing instead having the minister of justice stop the court process, as required by the extradition procedure, when Trump openly politicized the case?[xxix]

 

2. Businesses

Though Huawei is going to come across more restrictions and obstacles, the Chinese government has noticed that and will be prepared. As to later litigations, the evidence used for one court hearing may not be used for another automatically. Also, with Huawei’s network and Chinese government support, the American government and businesses may not always have the upper hand, and they may experience a big backyard fire sooner or later. Furthermore, similar businesses in China and Russia will try to stand up to the US, and the long-arm jurisdiction will not function as well as with Alstom, Volkswagen, Toshiba or Novatek (whose CFO has been arrested on tax evasion charges in the US in Sept of 2021[xxx]).

 

3. Individuals

With American hegemonism and overuse of its power, more and more business people will leave or do away with American business and avoid traveling to the US or even countries friendly to the US. Furthermore, investment confidence is greatly reduced and any possible investment discouraged.

 

V. Enlightenment of the Event

1. Goal of Different Countries

If a country needs to develop and prosper, it needs good leaders with wisdom and effective power of decision-making, and the goals set need to be realistic, pragmatic and proactive. In a complicated changing world, cooperation is better than competition and combat. Peace and development should be the ultimate goal. As economy speaks for politics, the focus should be on the economy. When we don’t agree, we need to agree to not to agree.

 

2. Involvement of People in International Business Disputes

Very seldom are common people involved in international business disputes. Meng is not the CEO or president of Huawei. She did not commit anything wrong in Canada, nor did Skycom harm HSBC in anyway. She should be the least person to be caught, yet she was arrested in Canada on her way to Mexico. Absurd as it was, Canada played a disgraceful role in this.

 

3. Canada’s Position in the World

Canada needs to think before taking action. Actually, the US had asked more than 5 countries to help with catching Meng, but only Canada cooperated. The US wanted Canada to play the role because it felt Canada was faithful and trustworthy, and that Canada could be taken advantage of as a bad Sino-Canada relationship may put the US in a better position being able to export more energy and agricultural products with more room to negotiate.

 

However, the US seldom thinks of Canadian interest. Therefore, Canada needs to have a more diversified economy in terms of both industries and regions.

 

4. Civil Business and State Business

As politics and culture differ, it is hard to only trade with countries of the same political and cultural system. Also, a neutral stand may let Canada attract more friends. Therefore, trade may be promoted while respecting the partner’s different culture. For security reasons, trade among civil businesses may be even more encouraged. Professional people and entrepreneurs with foreign backgrounds should be valued both because they have to be excellent to come over and because they can serve as a good bridge in international trade and investment.

 

VI. Conclusion

The US needs to curb its behavior of meddling with other countries’ technology and economic development. There is a saying that we should not do onto other people what we don’t like. There is another saying that a temporary win may rely on the strength, but a long-term win relies on justice and fairness. As put by Scott White, Editor in Chief of the Conversation, the swiftness of the Chinese action signalled, instead, a more important message to the world from the governing Chinese Communist Party: Don’t mess with us. It’s time for Canada to consistently match rhetoric to actions. Perhaps celebrations about the return of the two Michaels will lead to new policies that would avoid a repetition[xxxi].

 

A law expert based in Vancouver says the damage is permanent, and it’s going to take many decades to restore the relationship as the trust is basically gone[xxxii]. Nevertheless, in spite of many obstacles ahead, Canada needs to be look for the better and work in that direction. Meng said, every cloud has a silver lining[xxxiii]. Kovrig wanted to look forward to put all behind and see all the beauty of Canada[xxxiv]. Let’s bless Canada and hope that it will learn from this event and perform better on the world stage.

 

孟一案安排及其余波

 

摘要:孟女士被捕案已经解决。有人会说三个国家都很高兴,每一方都可能赢了一点(加拿大得到两个迈克尔,孟对事实陈述的认可以后可能会被美国用来对付华为,中国在孟没有认罪的情况下让她回来了)。加拿大、美国和中国都否认有任何交易或谈判以释放两名加拿大被拘留者,来换取华为首席财务官的释放。孟晚舟是否应该被引渡一直有很多争论,包括华为是否对星通有明确的控制权。一些专家认为这是美国政府阻止中国电信崛起战略的一部分,因此具有政治动机。拜登总统和习近平主席的电话会谈,可能为这起案件带来了一些积极的结果。根据查斯弗里曼的说法,孟晚舟被拘留和两名迈克尔被监禁,不仅加深了华盛顿和北京之间的紧张关系,也将加中关系推向了历史最低点。除了孟和最近被捕的诺瓦泰克首席财务官之外,很少有个人卷入国际商业纠纷。加拿大在采取行动之前需要冷静和独立地思考,并通过始终将言辞和理性与现实行动相匹配,在世界舞台上表现得更好。

 

关键词:中国、孟和华为、全球贸易、国际关系



[i] China says Canada's arrest of Meng Wanzhou was 'dirty job' for the U.S., CBC News, 27 Sept 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmNVjItl1GM.

[ii] Laura Zhou: US’ National Day message to China has notable difference from last year’s, South China Morning Post, 1 Oct 2021. Please you’re your time to read the complete article https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3150849/us-national-day-message-china-has-notable-difference-last.

[iii] Catharine Tunney and Chris Hall: B.C court drops extradition case after Meng Wanzhou enters deferred prosecution agreement in U.S., RCI, 24 Sept 2021, https://ici.radio-canada.ca/rci/en/news/1826820/b-c-court-drops-extradition-case-after-meng-wanzhou-enters-deferred-prosecution-agreement-in-u-s-.

[iv] US District Court Eastern District of New York: Deferred Prosecution Agreement with Meng Wanzhou, 22 Sept 2021, https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1436211/download.

[v] Lizzi C. Lee: What Will Happen in Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou’s Canada Extradition Case? The Diplomat, 21 August 2021. Please take your time to read the whole analytical article by clicking https://thediplomat.com/2021/08/what-will-happen-in-huawei-cfo-meng-wanzhous-canada-extradition-case/.  

[vi] Lizzi C. Lee: What Will Happen in Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou’s Canada Extradition Case? The Diplomat, 21 August 2021. Please take your time to read the whole analytical article by clicking https://thediplomat.com/2021/08/what-will-happen-in-huawei-cfo-meng-wanzhous-canada-extradition-case/.

[vii] Wikipedia: Detention of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, as accessed on 30 Sept, 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detention_of_Michael_Spavor_and_Michael_Kovrig.

[viii] Two Canadians suspected of endangering China's national security were approved to be released on bail pending trial according to law (in Chinese), the Paper, 26 Sept, 2021, https://www.sohu.com/a/492256980_260616.

[ix] Tonda MacCharles: China, Canada and the U.S. all insist there was ‘no deal’ to bring the two Michaels home, Toronto Star, 27, Sept 2021, https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2021/09/27/china-canada-and-the-us-all-insist-there-was-no-deal-to-bring-the-two-michaels-home.html.

[x] What does significant control over a company mean? The Gazette, accessed on 4 Oct, 2021, https://www.thegazette.co.uk/all-notices/content/101438.

[xi] US District Court Eastern District of New York: Deferred Prosecution Agreement with Meng Wanzhou, 22 Sept 2021; US Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs: Huawei CFO Admits to Misleading Global Financial Institution, 24 Sept 2021.Please take time to view the release https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/huawei-cfo-wanzhou-meng-admits-misleading-global-financial-institution.

[xii] Lizzi C. Lee: What Will Happen in Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou’s Canada Extradition Case? The Diplomat, 21 August 2021. Please take your time to read the whole analytical article by clicking https://thediplomat.com/2021/08/what-will-happen-in-huawei-cfo-meng-wanzhous-canada-extradition-case/.

[xiii] Lizzi C. Lee: What Will Happen in Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou’s Canada Extradition Case? The Diplomat, 21 August 2021. Please take your time to read the whole analytical article by clicking https://thediplomat.com/2021/08/what-will-happen-in-huawei-cfo-meng-wanzhous-canada-extradition-case/.

[xiv] Amy Smart: Trump used Meng Wanzhou as ‘bargaining chip,’ lawyer says in bid to toss extradition, Global News, 3 March 2021. Please check the complete report by clicking https://globalnews.ca/news/7673817/meng-wanzhou-case-trump-trade-china/.

[xv] Arjun Kharpal: Huawei CFO’s extradition case: Everything you need to know, CNBC, 8 May 2019, https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/08/huawei-cfo-meng-wanzhou-extradition-case-everything-you-need-to-know.html.

[xvi] Wikipedia: Frédéric Pierucci, accessed on 30 Sept 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Pierucci; Jonathan Stempel:  U.S. judge sentences Alstom in bribery case, $772 mln fine, Reuters, 13 Nov 2015, https://www.reuters.com/article/alstom-corruption-sentencing-idUSL1N13820V20151113.

[xvii] Senior manager of Russia's Novatek arrested in U.S. on tax charges, Reuters, 23 Sept 2021, https://www.reuters.com/world/senior-manager-russias-novatek-arrested-us-tax-charges-2021-09-23/; Al Mayadeen: US Arrests Novatek CFO on Tax Charges, Al-Mayadeen Media Network, 26 Sept 2021. Please feel free to check the whole interesting article by clicking the link https://english.almayadeen.net/news/economics/us-arrests-novatek-cfo-on-tax-charges.

[xviii] Wikipedia: United States debt-ceiling crisis of 2011, accessed on 1 Oct 2021, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_debt-ceiling_crisis_of_2011.

[xix] The White House: Readout of President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Call with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China, 9 Sept 2021. Please check the whole discussion by clicking https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/09/09/readout-of-president-joseph-r-biden-jr-call-with-president-xi-jinping-of-the-peoples-republic-of-china/.

[xx] Joe Biden’s China trade policy lacks ambition, 5 Oct 2021, Financial Times,

https://www.ft.com/content/90f72428-4848-4e94-b730-25bdfebd3baa.

[xxi] Erin Duffin: Public Debt of the US by Month 2020/21, Statista, 14 Sept 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/273294/public-debt-of-the-united-states-by-month/.

[xxii] Meng for the two Michaels: Lessons for the world from the China-Canada prisoner swap, the Guardian, 26 Sept 2021. Please check the complete article by clicking the link https://theconversation.com/meng-for-the-two-michaels-lessons-for-the-world-from-the-china-canada-prisoner-swap-168737.

[xxiii] Joe Biden’s China trade policy lacks ambition, 5 Oct 2021, Financial Times,

https://www.ft.com/content/90f72428-4848-4e94-b730-25bdfebd3baa.

[xxiv] William F. Meehan III: Can The Federal Reserve Print Money Forever? Or, How Continuing To Print Money To Support Deficit Spending May End Badly, With China’s Help, Forbes, 21 Oct 2020, https://www.forbes.com/sites/williammeehan/2020/10/21/can-the-federal-reserve-print-money-forever-or-how-continuing-to-print-money-to-support-deficit-spending-may-end-badly-with-chinas-help/?sh=6ebe3c0b58d4.

[xxv] Wikipedia: Dominique Strauss-Kahn, as accessed on 3 Oct 2021 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominique_Strauss-Kahn.

[xxvi] Canadians trust China the least in the world, Western Standard, 5 Aug 2021, https://westernstandardonline.com/2021/08/canadians-trust-china-the-least-in-the-world/.

[xxvii] Daphne Bramham: Meng Wanzhou is free, so now what? Vancouver Sun, 24 Sept 2021,

https://vancouversun.com/news/daphne-bramham-meng-wanzhou-is-free-so-now-what.

[xxviii] Biography of Chas Freeman, https://chasfreeman.net/biography/, accessed 4 Oct 2021.

[xxix] Wenran Jiang: The bitter saga of Meng Wanzhou and the two Michaels is finally over. Now come the tough questions, Toronto Star, 25 Sept 2021. Interested people can view the article

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2021/09/25/the-bitter-saga-of-meng-wanzhou-and-the-two-michaels-is-finally-over-now-come-the-tough-questions.html.

[xxx] Brett Forrest: Russian Gas Firm Executive Arrested in U.S. on Tax Charges, Wall Street Journal, 24 Sept 2021. Please you’re your time to read the whole article by clicking the following link https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-gas-firm-executive-arrested-in-u-s-on-tax-charges-11632510921.

[xxxi] Scott White: Meng for the two Michaels: Lessons for the world from the China-Canada prisoner swap, the Conversation, 26 Sept 2021. Please check the article for your reference: https://theconversation.com/meng-for-the-two-michaels-lessons-for-the-world-from-the-china-canada-prisoner-swap-168737.

[xxxii] Sean Boynton: Could release of 2 Michaels, Meng Wanzhou thaw Canada-China relations? Experts are mixed, Global News, 25 Sept 2021. People interested in this could read https://globalnews.ca/news/8220412/canada-china-meng-wanzhou-kovrig-spavor/.

[xxxiii] Moira Warburton and Sarah Berman: Huawei heir apparent prepares for life after three years of Canada court battle, Reuters, 24 Sept 2021. Please you’re your time to view the article https://www.reuters.com/business/huawei-heir-apparent-prepares-life-after-three-years-canada-court-battle-2021-09-24/.

[xxxiv] Saba Aziz: Free at last’: Canadian Michael Kovrig, wife speak about emotional return from China, Global News, 26 Sept 2021. You may read the interesting article by clicking the link https://globalnews.ca/news/8221895/west-block-michael-kovrig/.