President Trump said Tuesday he would intervene in the case involving a top Chinese technology executive if it would help close a trade deal with the country.
Trump, who made the comments in an interview with Reuters, also said he would consider intervening if it were in the national security interests of the U.S.
“Whatever’s good for this country, I would do,” he said. “If I think it’s good for what will be certainly the largest trade deal ever made – which is a very important thing – what’s good for national security – I would certainly intervene if I thought it was necessary.”{mosads}
The executive, Huawei chief financial officer (CFO) Meng Wanzhou, was arrested earlier this month by Canadian authorities and faces extradition to the U.S. She has been accused of violating trade sanctions against Iran.
Meng was granted bail on Tuesday by a Canadian judge and will remain in Canada while she faces proceedings to extradite her to the U.S.
Meng was detained on the same day that Trump made a trade truce with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 (G-20) summit in Argentina, but U.S. officials have previously said her arrest was not connected to the trade war.
Trump said in his interview with Reuters on Tuesday that he has not personally spoken with Chinese officials about Meng’s case.
“They have not called me yet. They are talking to my people. But they have not called me yet,” he said.