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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 13, 2018)
A8 NATION/WORLD East Oregonian Thursday, December 13, 2018 Trump comments upend U.S. approach to Huawei, trade talks By PAUL WISEMAN AND ROB GILLIES Associated Press WASHINGTON — The United States and China have taken pains this week to emphasize that their trade talks are entirely separate from the U.S. case against a top Chinese technology executive. But with a few words, President Donald Trump obliterated the dis- tinction, saying he’d wade into the case if it would help produce a trade agreement with China. China has already detained a former Canadian diplomat in what appears to be retaliation for Canada’s arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of telecommunications giant Huawei. On Wednesday, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland expressed concern that another Cana- dian may have also been taken into custody. A Canadian court on Tuesday released Meng on bail, confining her to Van- couver and its suburbs while she awaits possible extra- dition to the United States. The U.S. accuses Huawei, the biggest global supplier of network gear for phone and internet companies, of using a Hong Kong shell company to do business with Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. But on Tuesday, Trump raised the possibility that a U.S.-China trade deal might be reason enough for him to intervene. “If I think it’s good for what will be certainly the largest trade deal ever made — which is a very import- ant thing — what’s good for national security — I would certainly intervene if I thought it was necessary,” Trump told Reuters in an interview. The comment suggests Meng could be a political pawn in negotiations and makes things more awkward for Canada, which arrested her on America’s behalf during a Dec. 1 layover at the Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press via AP Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, right, waves goodbye to visitors at her home in Vancouver on Wednesday. Vancouver airport. Canadian Prime Minis- ter Justin Trudeau bristled at Trump’s assertion, saying: “Regardless of what goes on in other countries, Canada is, and will always remain, a country of the rule of law.” Freeland said it was “quite obvious” any foreign country requesting extradition should ensure “the process is not politicized.” In what appears to be retaliation against Canada for arresting Meng, Chi- nese authorities on Monday detained a former Canadian diplomat, Michael Kovrig, in Beijing. On Wednesday, Freeland said she was worried that another Canadian had been detained in China. “We are aware of a Cana- dian who got in touch with us because he was being asked questions by Chinese author- ities. We have not made been able to make contact with him since he let us know about this,” Freeland told a news conference. “We are working very hard to ascer- tain his whereabouts, and we have raised this case with the Chinese authorities. We are in touch with his family.” Canada has also asked China for extra security at its embassy because of protests and anti-Canadian sentiment and has advised foreign ser- vice staff to take precautions, a senior Canadian official told reporters. Meng’s arrest came the same day that Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed over dinner in Bue- nos Aires to a 90-day cease- fire in a trade war that has shaken global financial mar- kets and raised worries about the impact on the world economy. The truce was meant to buy time for more substan- tive talks over U.S. allega- tions that China steals U.S. technology and forces Amer- ican companies to hand over trade secrets in exchange for access to the Chinese market. U.S. officials have insisted the sanctions case against Meng had nothing to do with the ongoing trade talks. Top White House eco- nomic adviser Larry Kudlow told “Fox News Sunday” that “there’s a trade lane ... and there is the law enforcement lane. They are different.” “Both Canadian and American officials have emphasized that the Meng arrest is separate from the trade talks,” said Gregory Yaeger, special counsel at the Stroock law firm and a for- mer Justice Department trial attorney. “Trump’s remarks could be interpreted as creating the appearance that the arrest also had political motiva- tions. This could undermine the U.S.’s reputation as a country that follows the ‘rule of law,’ and could ultimately undermine both the Meng prosecution and the trade talks,” Yeager said. What happens with Brexit after May survives leadership vote LONDON (AP) — Brit- ish Prime Minister The- resa May won a no-confi- dence vote by lawmakers from her party Wednesday. Fellow Conservatives who object to some terms of the Brexit deal May’s govern- ment struck with the Euro- pean Union initiated the challenge that would have ended her leadership of both the party and the country. May said after the results were in that she plans to keep pursuing an agreement that Parliament will support before Britain’s departure from the European Union, set for March 29. These are the next steps as she tries to win approval for her pro- posed Brexit deal: Lobbying EU leaders for concessions May plans to attend a two-day summit starting Thursday in Brussels and try to convince remaining EU leaders to sweeten the divorce deal now on the table. She needs to do so because strong opposition to the existing agreement exists in all of the U.K.’s political parties, including May’s own. The Conser- vatives’ 200-117 no-con- fidence vote illustrates the deep resistance she faces. What kind of recep- tion can May expect in Brussels? Europe’s key power bro- kers have said they are unwilling to renegotiate the legally binding agreement that has been agreed to by May’s government and the bloc’s other members. However, EU leaders indicated willingness this week to consider statements that might make it easier for May to persuade the reluc- tant Parliament to pass the plan. The main sticking point, as it has been almost from the start of negotiations, is the post-Brexit border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K., and Ireland, which is an EU country. Critics in May’s party don’t like how the cur- rent deal proposes dealing with customs checks, taxes and trade issues the U.K. hasn’t had to consider as an EU member. How long does she have to win Parliament’s backing? May has said she intends to bring the proposed agree- ment to Parliament for a vote by Jan. 21. A vote originally was scheduled for Tuesday night, but the prime minis- ter acknowledged lawmak- ers would reject the deal if they considered it then. Britain is scheduled to leave the EU on March 29, so there is significant time pressure for progress. May could face another “no-confidence” vote Her victory on Wednes- day means Conservative Party members cannot try to oust May as their stan- dard-bearer in the next year. However, the prime min- ister still could be the sub- ject of a confidence vote in Parliament’s House of Commons. Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has indicated his party would trigger such a vote when it was likely to pass. Smaller parties have pressed Corbyn to challenge May sooner not later. Season’s Greetings From Our Family To Yours Read this book, and you’ll understand a lot about what makes Oregon Oregon. Designed by Kailee Wright of Hermiston OR. She was the winner of our annual Holiday Design Contest. — Jackman Wilson, Editorial Page Editor, The Register-Guard Donate This Holiday Season in Our Annual Charity Drive Community Bank will match at 50¢ on every dollar collected, up to $500 max match per branch through Dec. 19, 2018! Donations at our Pendleton Branch will support: Donations at our Hermiston Branch will support: Free Craft Saturdays for Kids Empowering children through sports, adventure activites, art and music Donations at our Heppner Branch will support: “Grit and Ink” tells a story that is very worthy of being told. — Kerry Tymchuk, Executive Director, Oregon Historical Society Small-town family business history at its best. —Richard Baker, U.S. Senate Historian Emeritus NOW AVAILABLE AT The Neighborhood Center Food Bank Donations at our Milton-Freewater Branch will support: Milton-Freewater City Light & Power Energy Assistance Program PLUS - The City of Milton-Freewater will match the funds collected up to $5,000! IN PRINT AND eBOOK FOR KINDLE Also available from local booksellers or call 800-621-2736 books.eomediagroup.com/grit-ink Local Money Working For Local People www.communitybanknet.com Member FDIC Pendleton 157 S Main St 541-278-9000 Hermiston 50 E Theater Ln 541-289-4480 Heppner 127 N Main St 541-676-5745 Milton-Freewater 504 N Main St 541-938-6361
