Why is Huawei´s Meng Wanzhou such a big deal? She´s treated like a `princeling´ in China
(The Star Fashion & Style)

VANCOUVER—Three months ago, few people outside of China knew who Meng Wanzhou was.For many, the Huawei executive’s arrest at Vancouver International Airport on Dec. 1 was their first glimpse of the woman now at the centre of a bitter diplomatic dispute between Canada and China. But Meng comes from a powerhouse family in China, one that holds significant influence in both the political and business world.Meng’s father is billionaire entrepreneur Ren Zhengfei, who is a member of China’s revolutionary cohort — the generation that ushered China through its dramatic rise to power. Ren served in the Engineering Corps of the People’s Liberation Army and joined the Chinese Community Party before founding the telecommunications company Huawei in 1987. Meng is also connected to the Chinese government on her mother’s side. Her mother, Meng Jun, is the daughter of the former deputy governor of Sichuan province.Since its founding, Huawei has grown into one of the largest telecommunication companies in the world, one of a handful capable of developing and manufacturing 5G network technologies — viewed as the next major evolution of wireless systems.In her early 20s, Meng started working as a secretary in her father’s company. She rose through the ranks quickly as the company expanded. By 2011, Huawei was introducing her at public events as its chief financial officer.Read more:Why Canada represented U.S. authorities’ ‘best chance’ to capture Huawei’s Meng WanzhouHuawei pleads not guilty in Seattle case the day before Meng Wanzhou’s extradition deadlineHuawei CFO’s lawyers suggest her arrest was political — and they say Trump’s comments prove itBeing both a top-level executive at Huawei and the daughter of one of China’s entrepreneurial heroes has meant Meng is treated like a “princeling� in China, said Jeffrey Wasserstrom, professor of history at the Univers ...