Meng Wanzhou named deputy chairwoman of Huawei Technologies

Meng returned to China in 2021 after nearly three years detention in Vancouver

Telecoms giant Huawei Technologies named its finance chief Meng Wanzhou, who returned to China in 2021 after nearly three years detention in Canada, as its deputy chairwoman, according to the company’s website on Friday.

Meng is the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei. She played a central role in the company’s tussle with the United States, having been detained in Canada in 2018 over alleged attempts by Huawei-linked companies to sell equipment to Iran in breach of U.S. sanctions.

The United States then imposed a series of trade restrictions on the company throughout 2019 and 2020, citing national security concerns. This impeded Huawei’s ability to design its own chips and to source components from outside vendors, crippling its smartphone businesses.

Meng was allowed to return to China in September after an agreement with U.S. prosecutors to end a bank fraud case.

Two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, were released under a side deal to the U.S. agreement.