Hostage Diplomacy Between China, Canada and the United States
The Lawfare Podcast
The Lawfare Institute
4.7 • 6.4K Ratings
🗓️ 1 October 2021
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei, is free, having been put on a flight from Canada back to her native China. Moments later, two Canadians held in China were also freed and put on flights back to Canada in what many are describing as hostage diplomacy by the People's Republic of China. The United States had indicted Wanzhou and Huawei for bank fraud but dropped the indictment against her at least, having reached a deferred prosecution agreement with her in which she gave statements that may be used against Huawei. To go over all of the angles, Benjamin Wittes sat down with Pete Strzok, former deputy head of counterintelligence at the FBI; Julian Ku, a professor of law at Hofstra University School of Law; and Leah West of Carleton University in Canada.
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Transcript
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| 0:22.0 | rational security, chatter, law fair no bull, and the aftermath. |
| 0:29.0 | It seems like they want to send the message that hostage taking is still on the table for us in the future. |
| 0:39.0 | Otherwise, it doesn't make sense why they would have timed it in this way. |
| 0:43.0 | There's nothing in the Chinese courts that would make sense as to why these two guys got released. |
| 0:48.0 | One of them is still waiting their trial, right? |
| 0:50.0 | Neither of whom had any medical issues that the Chinese acknowledged, |
| 0:54.0 | nor since they've been back in Canada. |
| 0:56.0 | None of that made sense, which I need respect. |
| 0:59.0 | I'm Benjamin Whittes and this is the LawFair podcast October 1st, 2021. |
| 1:06.0 | Meng Wanjou, the chief financial officer of Huawei, |
| 1:10.0 | is free having been put on a flight from Canada back to her native China. |
| 1:17.0 | Movin's later, two Canadians held in China were also freed, put on flights back to Canada |
| 1:28.0 | in what many are describing as hostage diplomacy by the people's Republic of China. |
| 1:35.0 | The United States had indicted Meng Wanjou and Huawei for bank fraud |
| 1:42.0 | but dropped the indictment against her, at least, having reached a deferred prosecution agreement |
| 1:50.0 | with her in which she gave statements that may be used against Huawei. |
| 1:55.0 | Joining us in the virtual jungle studio to go over all the angles are Pete Struck, |
... |
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