China debates pros and cons of retaliation after Huawei CFO arrest

Conversations with seven Chinese officials revealed a split between those focused on the economy and others who deal with national security

The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei Technologies’ chief financial officer, has triggered a debate in China over whether to carry on with trade talks or link the two issues and retaliate.

Conversations with seven Chinese officials across five government agencies, all of whom asked not to be identified, revealed a split between those focused on the economy and others who deal with national security. The first group saw a need to keep the two issues separate, while the second wanted to push back more forcefully against the US.

Officials concerned about the economy warned a collapse in trade talks would