PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 11 December, 2018, 12:58pm
UPDATED : Tuesday, 11 December, 2018, 11:22pm

Beijing on Tuesday said Canada failed to inform China about the detention of Huawei Technologies executive Sabrina Meng Wanzhou until officials were asked about the case.

The assertion by foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang came just hours after Ottawa insisted it had notified the Chinese consulate in Vancouver on the day of her arrest.

Canada’s Department of Justice told the Post in the early hours of Tuesday that Chinese consular officials had been informed about the case on December 1, but Beijing has accused Ottawa of violating a bilateral agreement by failing to offer timely notice.

“According to the China-Canada consular agreement, the Canadian government should have notified the Chinese consulate without delay,” Lu said on Tuesday at a press conference. “The Chinese authorities did not receive any first notice but were instead informed by other channels.

“You should have asked [Canada] whether the Chinese government found the Canadian government first or the Canadian government notified the Chinese embassy,” Lu said.

Meng was arrested on December 1 in Vancouver at the behest of the United States, and faces extradition on allegations that she covered up Huawei’s links to an Iranian company in violation of American sanctions.

Canadian justice officials on Tuesday morning told the Post: “Consular access was provided later that day. China’s ambassador in Ottawa was also in contact with Canadian officials later that same day to discuss the situation.”

The statement from Ottawa came after Lu on Monday said Beijing had not been notified in a timely manner.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t receive any notification from the Canadian government at the first moment,” Lu said.

An editorial by Chinese state news agency Xinhua on Saturday made the same accusation.

Beijing summoned Canadian ambassador John McCallum in protest at Meng’s arrest and urged Ottawa to release her immediately or face “grave consequences that the Canadian side should be held accountable for”.