Huawei denies after US prosecutors file criminal charges

Chinese telecoms giant Huawei has denied any wrongdoing after US prosecutors filed a host of criminal charges against the firm.

Huawei has also rejected criminal claims against its chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, who was arrested in Canada last month.

The charges filed against Huawei in the US include bank fraud, obstruction of justice and theft of technology.

The indictment, announced on Monday, alleges Huawei misled the US and a global bank about its relationship with two subsidiaries, Huawei Device USA and Skycom Tech, to conduct business with Iran.

US President Donald Trump's administration has reinstated all sanctions on Iran removed under a 2015 nuclear deal and recently imposed even stricter measures, hitting oil exports, shipping, and banks.

CFO Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of Huawei's founder, was arrested in Vancouver on December 1. She has denied wrongdoing and is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday to discuss changes to her bail terms.

Late on Monday, public broadcaster CBC said the U.S. has formally requested her extradition, citing Canada's Justice Department.

Huawei said it was "disappointed" to learn of the charges. It said it had sought to discuss them with U.S. authorities "but the request was rejected without explanation".

"The Company denies that it or its subsidiary or affiliate have committed any of the asserted violations..., is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng, and believes the U.S. courts will ultimately reach the same conclusion."

China's foreign ministry expressed "grave concern" and urged the United States drop the arrest warrant and end "unreasonable suppression" of Chinese companies.

The development is likely to upset talks between Beijing and Washington this week as part of negotiations intended to walk back trade tensions between the globe's two largest economies.

Canada's Justice Minister will have 30 days from receipt of the extradition request to decide whether to grant authority to proceed. If granted, Meng's case would be sent to the British Columbia Supreme Court for an extradition hearing, which could take weeks or months.