VANCOUVER -- On the first anniversary of Meng Wanzhou's arrest at the Vancouver airport, the Huawei executive has released an open letter thanking supporters for standing behind her.
The letter, which was published on the Huawei website Sunday, describes the way Meng's life has changed since being placed under house arrest.
"When I was in Shenzhen, time used to pass by very quickly. Every day, my schedule was fully packed and I was constantly rushing from place to place, and from meeting to meeting," she writes.
"Right now, time seems to pass slowly. It is so slow that I have enough time to read a book from cover to cover. I can take the time to discuss minutiae with my colleagues or to carefully complete an oil painting."
Meng, who is the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, goes on to thank her company's customers and suppliers for their trust and patience. She also thanks the members of the public who have supported her through the extradition process.
"In Chinese, the character for 'light' is composed of two parts: one that means fire, representing hope, and one that means people," her letter reads.
"My dear friends, your warmth is a beacon that lights my way forward, and I appreciate it more than words can say."
Meng, who has been living at one of her Vancouver homes since being freed on $10 million bail, even credits the staff and inmates at the Alouette Correctional Centre for Women for helping her make it through the "worst days of (her) life."
The United States government has laid 13 criminal charges against Huawei and Meng, accusing them of misrepresenting their ownership of subsidiary Skycom in an effort to circumvent the country's sanctions against Iran.
But her lawyers argued this week that even if the allegations were true, they weren't crimes under Canadian law and therefore shouldn't warrant extradition. Canada's Extradition Act requires that "the conduct of the person, had it occurred in Canada, would have constituted an offence that is punishable in Canada."
The attorney general of Canada has until Jan. 8, 2020 to respond to the argument.
With files from The Canadian Press
Read Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou's full letter below:
