华为公司首席财务官孟晚舟在温哥华机场过境转机时被加拿大当局拘押后获得保释一事，引发舆论高度关注，遭到中方严正交涉和强烈抗议。在孟晚舟事件中，加拿大扮演了不光彩的“打手”角色，而美国按照国内法进行“长臂管辖”，是真正的始作俑者。

美国要求加拿大逮捕孟晚舟，并将其引渡美国受审，理由是孟晚舟涉嫌违反美国对伊朗的出口禁令。但是华为公司声明表示，它遵守业务所在国的所有适用法律法规，包括联合国、美国和欧盟适用的出口管制和制裁法律法规。据路透社数年前报道，香港公司一家涉嫌向伊朗最大电信运营商违规销售美国惠普公司的设备，而孟晚舟曾担任该公司的董事。不过华为已经说明，它和这家公司都没有提供过惠普设备。惠普公司也表示禁止向伊朗出售其产品。据报，美国司法部门早自2016年起就一直在调查华为是否涉嫌违规向伊朗出口通信设备。但美方一直没有公布过相关调查结果。显然，美国是以“莫须有”指控孟晚舟。

既便非美国公司违反美国对某些国家的出口禁令，美国历来的做法也如同对美国公司一样，只是对这些公司处以罚款了事，从来没有将这些公司的高管拘捕或监禁。这样的例子不胜枚举，如渣打银行、德意志银行、东京-三菱银行、荷兰国际集团、泛太平洋银行、阿布扎比国家银行等。美国此次拿孟晚舟开刀，可谓开了一个恶劣的先例，不但严重侵犯中国公民的合法、正当权益，也破坏了国际法，给正常的国际商业活动蒙上了阴影。

美国策划孟晚舟事件，企图达到一箭双雕的目的。一是打压华为发展的势头。作为一家高科技企业，华为在全球推广5G技术取得很大成功，其发展势头令美国忐忑不安，美国必欲除之而后快。2018年初美国政府叫停了华为手机与全美第二大电信运营商AT&T的代销合作。8月美国通过的2019财年“国防授权法案”规定美国政府和政府承包商禁止使用来自华为和中兴通讯等中国科技公司的产品和服务，日前又发生要引渡孟晚舟去美国受审的事。几乎同时，在美国的指使下，英国、澳大利亚和新西兰先后宣布禁止华为参与5G网络基础设施建设。美国的一连串动作目的是抹黑华为，诋毁其信誉，封杀其产品，进而阻止华为的发展势头。

二是制造杠杆，撬动中美贸易谈判向对美方有利的方向发展。中美两国元首在阿根廷会晤时达成共识，停止加征新的关税，并指示两国经济团队在90天之内加紧磋商，朝着取消所有加征关税的方向达成互利双赢的具体协议。此时发生孟晚舟事件并非偶然。在接受路透社采访时，当被问及是否会介入此案，特朗普总统说：“只要对国家有好处，我都会去做。”CNN认为，“特朗普表示愿意在对华贸易谈判中使用华为首席财务官作为谈判筹码”。看来，如果有需要，美国会出手使用这个杠杆，从中美贸易谈判中捞取更多好处。

孟晚舟事件向世人说明了什么？首先，在“美国优先”原则下，美国为一己私利可以不择手段。什么道德、法律，什么规则、国际法，统统都可以弃之不顾，彻底失去了原则和底线。

其次，“国家安全”成为美国贸易壁垒的新借口。以“国家安全”为由，美国可以向盟国加征钢铝产品进口关税。同样以这个冠冕堂皇的理由，美国可以采用非市场的行政措施，剥夺华为产品和服务的市场准入。美国是彻头彻尾的不正当贸易行为践行者，有何格资格奢谈“公平贸易”？

最后，美国要打击的不仅仅是华为公司，而是整个中国高科技产业。经过自主创新，华为现持世界5G产业之牛耳。对此，美国心有不甘，挖空心思采取各种手段，定要把华为从这个位子上打下来，维持其一统天下的局面。孟晚舟事件只是这场遭遇战的第一仗，以后这类斗争还会很多。中国不惹事，但也不怕事。面对美国的挑衅，我们应开展有理有利有节的工作，挫败美国的图谋，维护中国的利益。

Canadian authorities arrested Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou on December 1 in a Vancouver airport. She was granted bail later. The Chinese authorities lodged strong protests with the Canadian authorities and the story has been occupying headlines since. Apparently, Canada played the role of a “fixer” on behalf of the US, which is the real boss wielding the club of long arm jurisdiction.

The arrest and attempted extradition of Meng Wanzhou was issued by the US authorities, citing Huawei's alleged breach of the US sanctions on Iran, a claim repeatedly rebutted by Huawei, stating that it has acted in compliance with the laws and regulations of host countries. There was a Reuters report a couple of years ago that claimed a Hong Kong based company attempted to sell embargoed Hewlett Packard equipment to Iran's largest mobile phone operator, which had business ties with Huawei. Meng once served as a director of the Hong Kong company. Besides, Huawei clarified that neither itself nor the Hong Kong company provided any HP equipment, and HP also stated it was compliant with the Iran embargo. It is reported that the US Justice Department has been probing Huawei since 2016 for any violation of sanctions against Iran, without ever releasing its conclusion. Apparently, what the US is really doing is to fabricate charges out of thin air to have Meng arrested.

It is worth noting that the US normally imposes fines on companies found to have violated country-specific sanctions, rather than putting any of their executives behind bars. The list covers Standard Chartered Bank, Deutch Bank, the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, the Internationale Nederlanden Group, the Pan-Pacific Bank, and the National Bank of Abu Dhabi. The arrest of Meng represents a horrible precedent, in utter disregard for the legitimate rights and interests of a Chinese citizen, and for international law. This will cast a shadow on business engagements.

By orchestrating the arrest of Meng, the US might have two goals in mind. First, to curtail Huawei's momentum. Huawei has become the front runner in 5G globally, much to the chagrin of the US. US authorities made several attempts to deter Huawei's global push, including blocking a partnership between Huawei and AT&T. In the National Authorization Act for Defence adopted in August this year, the bill dictated a ban against Huawei and ZTE products and services in any US government or government sponsored procurement. Meanwhile, encouraged by the US, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand also announced a ban on Huawei equipment in their respective domestic 5G markets. A succession of developments show the relentless efforts by the US to stigmatize Huawei and block sale channels in order to derail its growth.

Second, to create leverage in the ongoing trade talks. In line with the consensus reached by the two presidents in their meeting in Argentina, both sides suspended further tariff action for 90 days, during which time they would engage in trade negotiations to eliminate all tariffs and to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. In his Reuters interview, President Trump said that he would do anything that is good for America when responding to the question of whether he would intervene in the Meng case, which was a telling sign that the US may be behind the arrest of Meng. CNN interprets Trump's statement as a sign of willingness to use the Meng case as a bargaining chip in the trade talks.

So what can we learn from the Meng case? First, the US is ready to do anything without regard to law, morality, rules, and norms, so long as it puts America First. Nothing is beneath it.

Second, national security has become a new type of non-tariff barrier. Citing national security, the US could impose tariffs on steel and aluminum from allies, or banish Huawei from the global market. The US has become an outright offender of fair trade, and it is therefore the last country in the world to talk up defending fair trade.

Third, Huawei won't be the US' only target. The US will go on to target the whole hi-tech sector of China. Huawei is now the poster child for 5G technology, and the US leaves no stone unturned in the attempt to dislodge Huawei from the pedestal. China will never provoke anyone, but it will not shy away from a fight. China will respond proportionately in the face of US provocations, and stand up resolutely to a plot by the US to curtail China's development and national interests.