Chinese State Media: Huawei CFO Release Could Be Opportunity to Mend US-China Relations

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According to Chinese state media, the release of Meng Wanzhou, the Chief Executive Officer of Huawei, could be a road taken to mend bilateral relations between the United States and China. Although the opportunity could be taken advantage of, there are fears that "toxic political rhetoric" could still float the air with the United States' 'diplomacy' hostilities, especially after the arrest of the CFO of gas giant Novatek, yesterday. 

Chinese media appears to 'invite' reconciliation between the two superpowers, as America is China's top trading partner. According to China Daily, the extent to which such relations could be mended depends on will: "Whether China-US and China-Canada relations can now take advantage of what is a clear opportunity for a reboot depends on the extent to which Washington and Ottawa are willing to heed the lessons of their rash ploy." 

As the state media covered Meng's release and arrival to China, it did not comment on Kovrig and Spavor, whom China detained just a while later after Wanzhou's arrest. The Global Times, a Chinese news outlet, reported that the two Canadians "confessed their guilt for the crimes they committed in China and were released on bail for medical reasons before they departed China." 

Spavor was accused of taking photographs of Chinese military equipment and sending them to Kovrig, which resulted in an 11-year sentence to jail last August.