China asks Canada to release Huawei CFO

China's embassy in Canada has urged Canada to immediately release Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of China's tech giant Huawei, and for the United States to drop any potential extradition charges in a statement on Thursday.

Canadian authorities confirmed earlier that they had arrested Huawei's chief financial officer at the request of U.S. law enforcement, adding that she is being sought for extradition by the U.S..

"It is a serious violation of human rights" to arrest a Chinese citizen who did not violate any U.S. or Canadian laws, the statement went on to say. 

Meng, who is also the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Vancouver on December 1, according to local authorities.