Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross Says Huawei Arrest Has Nothing to Do with Trade
*By Justin Chermol and Carlo Versano*
The arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou was an "enforcement action, not a trade-related action," according to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.
Ross told Cheddar's Megan Pratz that the arrest of Meng in Vancouver was a response to her flouting of sanctions ー and not a retaliatory strike or warning shot against a major Chinese telecom corporation. Asked by Cheddar whether Meng's charges would affect trade negotiations between the U.S. and China, he replied: "Doesn't seem to have so far."
When asked by Cheddar if China also viewed Meng's arrest as an enforcement action, Ross said: "So far, they've said that."
The arrest of the Huawei CFO occurred on December 1, the same day President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to a 90-day trade truce on tariffs. Since then, the arrest has thrown a wrench into the delicate negotiations between the two world superpowers.
While Ross said the arrest should not affect trade negotiations, Trump has suggested otherwise.
In an interview with [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump/trump-says-would-intervene-in-arrest-of-chinese-executive-idUSKBN1OB01P), Trump said he would consider intervening with the U.S. Justice Department to influence the case if he thought it would help talks with China. "If I think it’s good for what will be certainly the largest trade deal ever made ... what’s good for national security – I would certainly intervene," he said.
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