Huawei executive returns as China releases 2 Canadians
CTV
An executive of Chinese global communications giant Huawei Technologies returned from Canada Saturday night following a legal settlement that also saw the release of two Canadians held by China, potentially bringing closure to a nearly 3-year-long feud embroiling Ottawa, Beijing and Washington.
Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer and the daughter of the company's founder, arrived Saturday evening aboard a chartered jet provided by flag carrier Air China in the southern technology hub of Shenzhen, where Huawei is based.
Her return, met with a flag-waving group of airline employees, was carried live on state TV, underscoring the degree to which Beijing has linked her case with Chinese nationalism and its rise as a global economic and political power.
Wearing a red dress matching the color of China's flag, Meng thanked the ruling Communist Party and its leader Xi Jinping for supporting her through more than 1,000 days in house arrest in Vancouver, where she owns two multimillion dollar mansions.
"I have finally returned to the warm embrace of the motherland," Meng said. "As an ordinary Chinese citizen going through this difficult time, I always felt the warmth and concern of the party, the nation and the people."