Huawei Executive Meng Wanzhou has left Vancouver for China as two Canadians gained freedom from prison in China, bringing an end to a bitter diplomatic row that has affected diplomatic relationships for three years.
Meng Wanzhou and the two Canadians (Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor) went back to their countries after years of being detained in what has been labelled “hostage diplomacy”.
Meng, the daughter of Ren Zhengfei, the billionaire founder of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei, was released in a Vancouver court hearing after 33 months of house arrest in Canada while battling extradition to the United States.
Her release came hours after US prosecutors disclosed an agreement under which fraud charges pressed against her are to be suspended and later dropped.
Meng immediately boarded a flight to Shenzhen, and went back to China for the first time since she was arrested at Vancouver’s international airport on December 1, 2018.
Also, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau disclosed that the two detained Canadians had left China for Canada.
While making the announcement, Trudeau said their plane was expected to land in Canada on Saturday and added that the duo had gone through “an unbelievably difficult ordeal.”
The “Two Michaels” were remanded few days after Meng’s arrest on what Canada labelled “trumped-up” espionage charges. China replied and called Meng’s case “a purely political incident.”
While talking about the development, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said “the US Government stands with the international community in welcoming the decision” to gree the men.
While talking to reporters before going to China, Meng said: “Over the past three years, my life has been turned upside down. It was a disruptive time for me as a mother, wife and a company executive.”
Meng later posted a message on Chinese social media which read: “Thank you to the party and government.
“It is that shade of brilliant Chinese red that…leads me on the long journey home.”
