Huawei to Increase Investment in Canada Despite U.S. Pressure

While its Chief Financial Officer Wanzhou Meng awaits a ruling next week on U.S. extradition request, Huawei’s Chairman Liang Hua and the president of its Canadian unit Eric Li, have pledged to add 200 new research and development jobs Canada while also boosting annual research spending by $25 million CAD (via Bloomberg).

Back in December, Canadian authorities arrested Ms. Meng in Vancouver at the request of the U.S. for alleged violations of sanctions against Iran. Now, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government must decide by March 1 whether to grant the U.S. request to begin extradition proceedings against Meng, while also weighing a ban on Huawei from the country’s 5G network roll out.



While the United States has already largely barred Huawei from supplying its government and contractors, it sees European and Canadian preparations for 5G mobile networks as a security risk that could also endanger the United States.

Last week, the U.S. Secretary of State also issued a warning to the country’s allies against using Huawei’s technology, saying it would make it more difficult for Washington to “partner alongside them”.

Meanwhile, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei has claimed that the arrest of his daughter and company’s chief financial officer is a political move by the U.S. to damage the company.