Two pieces in China’s Global Times, published within minutes of each other Sunday night, pointed to the agreement releasing Huawei CFO Meng Wangzhou and a signal a) that Huawei may not be crushed by U.S. financial warfare, and b) that U.S.-China and China-Canada relations could improve.
An editorial by Global Times warns, “U.S. Elites Should Not Misread Meng’s Release, Incite Hostility.” (https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1235143.shtml)
An article in Global Times Voice section, but also by Global Times’ editors, “GT Voice: Meng’s Homecoming a Rare Chance To Reset China-U.S. Relations,” says that although many observers expect the return of Meng to create a relatively favorable atmosphere for U.S.-China relations, some stubborn anti-China forces can’t restrain themselves from “pointing an accusing finger” at the development. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is one, the Voice article said, who called Meng’s release “Another example of the Biden administration’s dangerously soft approach” to China, which raises questions whether Biden has the ability to confront the threat posed by the technology giant Huawei and the Communist Party of China. The Voice calls Rubio’s comment an absurd reaction, because “the U.S. government cannot use its massive state apparatus to persecute Chinese citizens and firms to plead guilty.” As a leading example of China’s technological power, Huawei has suffered various crackdowns by the U.S., and Meng’s arrest at Vancouver International Airport on a U.S. warrant has been seen as a symbolic incident of U.S. suppression toward Chinese technology companies. (https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1235138.shtml)
“Meng will not plead guilty, nor will Huawei play by Sen. Rubio’s rules,” GT Voice writes. Meng’s return home is seen as a sign of easing bilateral economic and trade tensions. The relatively positive signal is rare and commendable in the current context. Its importance is as an attempt to encourage more steps between China and the U.S. to become closer. Both sides must take the opportunity to cool disputes, and there is no point to let toxic political rhetoric poison the atmosphere for what it calls “the world’s most important bilateral relationship.”
But there has been a “backfire” effect on the U.S. in the Huawei matter. Now, with Meng’s return, Huawei has “shrugged off” the endless ordeal, reinforcing market confidence, which as it happens, stems “not only from Meng’s persistence over the past three years, but also from Huawei’s consistent breakthroughs in innovation and research. For example, while Huawei’s smartphone business has been hit hard by the restriction of chip supplies, Huawei has made progress in other areas. It launched its “openEuler” operating system on Sept. 25, another self-developed OS after the HarmonyOS, and marking another milestone for building a full-scenario ecosystem.
