--- title: Trump Says He'd Intervene in Huawei Case for a Trade Deal description: The President said he would intervene in U.S. efforts to extradite Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou if it helped win a trade deal canonical: https://time.com/5477529/intervene-donald-trump-huawei-cfo-trade-deal/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-12-12T07:10:34.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-13T08:17:16.403Z article:section: Politics og:title: Trump Says He'd Intervene in Huawei Case for a Trade Deal og:description: 'I would certainly intervene, if I thought it was necessary.' og:url: https://time.com/5477529/intervene-donald-trump-huawei-cfo-trade-deal/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8aa73d00395a2e40/698941507cdbaca456d5ea94/gettyimages-1069437388.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5568 og:image:height: 3132 og:image:alt: US-politics-TRUMP-police og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Trump Says He'd Intervene in Huawei Case for a Trade Deal twitter:description: 'I would certainly intervene, if I thought it was necessary.' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8aa73d00395a2e40/698941507cdbaca456d5ea94/gettyimages-1069437388.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'I Would Certainly Intervene.' Trump Says He Would Get Involved in the Huawei CFO's Case for a Trade Deal > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=c22f7ec6-c2ef-4e39-9283-7db38d216ac2&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Canada Arrests CFO of China's Huawei Technologies for Possible Extradition to the U.S. [Watch (HLS stream): Canada Arrests CFO of China's Huawei Technologies for Possible Extradition to the U.S.](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/XhKl3O7G.m3u8) (1:25)  _Published 2018-12-06. Canadian authorities said Wednesday that they have arrested the chief financial officer of China’s Huawei Technologies for possible extradition to the United States._ by [Justin Sink / Bloomberg](https://time.com/author/bloomberg/) ## Justin Sink / Bloomberg Contributor Dec 12, 2018 7:10 AM UTC Canadian authorities said Wednesday that they have arrested the chief financial officer of China’s Huawei Technologies for possible extradition to the United States. by [Justin Sink / Bloomberg](https://time.com/author/bloomberg/) ## Justin Sink / Bloomberg Contributor Dec 12, 2018 7:10 AM UTC President Donald Trump said he would intervene in U.S. efforts to extradite Huawei Technologies Co. executive Meng Wanzhou if it helped him win a trade deal with China. “If I think it’s good for what will be certainly the largest trade deal ever made, which is a very important thing — what’s good for national security — I would certainly intervene, if I thought it was necessary,” Trump said Tuesday in an interview with Reuters. Meng was arrested earlier this month at the request of U.S. authorities, who allege she conspired to defraud banks to unwittingly violate U.S. sanctions by clearing transactions linked to Iran. On Tuesday, she was granted a $7.5 million bail by a Canadian court, allowing the Huawei chief financial officer to return to her Vancouver home as extradition proceedings continue. Trump told Reuters the White House was in communication with the Justice Department about the case, along with Chinese officials. Asked if he had spoken with President Xi Jinping about the matter, Trump responded: “They have not called me yet. They are talking to my people. But they have not called me yet.” The arrest has threatened to disrupt U.S.-Chinese relations even as the two nations’ leaders seek to negotiate a trade deal that would scale back a series of tariffs that have been implemented this year. China’s Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng summoned U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad to protest the arrest on Sunday, accusing the U.S. of violating the “legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens.” Revelations Tuesday that a former Canadian diplomat had been detained during a visit to Beijing added to concerns that the dispute could escalate into a broader tit-for-tat between China and the U.S. and its allies. Canadian Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale told reporters he saw “no explicit indication” Meng’s case was linked to the detention of Michael Kovrig, who now works as a senior adviser to the International Crisis Group in Hong Kong. Trump’s remarks appeared to undercut other officials in his administration who contended that Meng’s arrest — which came the same day he and Xi announced plans to break the trade impasse — was unconnected to the broader negotiations. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Sunday during an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that the case was a “criminal justice matter” and unrelated to trade talks. That message was echoed by Larry Kudlow, the head of Trump’s National Economic Council, who told “Fox News Sunday” that the Huawei case and the trade discussions were different “and I think President Trump and President Xi will continue to keep that difference.” ## Transcript [00:00] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] [00:07] [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5477529/intervene-donald-trump-huawei-cfo-trade-deal/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5477529/intervene-donald-trump-huawei-cfo-trade-deal/"},"headline":"'I Would Certainly Intervene.' 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