REUTERS/Alexander Bibik
Meng Wanzhou, CFO of Huawei and daughter of founder Ren Zhengfei.
- Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou was recently detained on suspicion of violating US trade sanctions, which the company has long been under investigation for by federal authorities.
- Meng serves as the chief financial officer and deputy chairwoman of the board at the Chinese tech company, and is also the daughter of Huawei's founder.
- Her arrest has sparked outrage from Chinese officials, who have demanded the US to release Meng or face "grave consequences."
- Here's a helpful primer on the Huawei executive and her career.
Chinese officials have threatened the US with "grave consequences" if the "extremely egregious" arrest of Meng Wanzhou, an executive at one of its biggest tech companies, isn't reversed. Wanzhou was detained, at the request of the US, on suspicion of violating Iran trade sanctions.
The potential implications of this arrest - which happened December 1 in Canada - on the tense trade war between the US and China has thrust popular Chinese smartphone company Huawei into the spotlight. But Meng Wanzhou, the Huawei executive at the center of the controversy, is still very much an unknown for most people.
Not only does Wanzhou occupy a top position at a multi-billion dollar company, she is also the daughter of Huawei's founder, Ren Zhengfei. The 46-year-old CFO and deputy chairwoman of the board has risen through the ranks of the company since she joined Huawei in 1993, even as her father has reportedly denied rumors that Meng would eventually take over as CEO of Huawei.
Here's what you need to know about Huawei's CFO Meng Wanzhou: