Millions of Chinese netizens welcome Meng's return, as crowds greet her at Shenzhen airport
The plane carrying Meng Wanzhou arrives at the Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport in south China on Saturday night.
Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou arrived at the Shenzhen Bao'an Airport Saturday night after a 13-hour flight from Vancouver after she was freed by the US and Canadian authorities that found her not guilty, with no punishment in fraud charges.
Her nearly three-year detention in Canada is called by the Chinese government as purely arbitrary detention.
Chinese Ambassador to Canada Cong Peiwu accompanied Meng on the flight, the China Central Television reported.
It has been almost three years since Meng was arrested by Canadian authorities in December 2018. Her arrival in Shenzhen, which was also an emotional moment in the eyes of many Chinese people, also signaled the victory of a Chinese citizen who bravely confronted the West-led hegemony, and many hailed the 49-year-old senior executive as a national hero who did not yield to political persecution.
Groups of people, who wore protective suits, held flowers and welcome banners as they waited on the parking apron at the airport, as Chinese port cities have adopted strict epidemic prevention measures against COVID-19. Local media reports said earlier that Meng was expected to follow the 14 plus 7 days of quarantine following her arrival.
Video clip shows people waving national flags at the apron.
Passengers who arrived at Shenzhen from aboard have to undergo a 14-day quarantine at quarantine hotels before being transferred to a 7-day community-administered isolation.
Earlier in the evening, the Global Times reporter saw crowds gathering at the arrival hall at the Shenzhen airport with Welcome Home banners, and they cheered on Meng's return. Some were family members and relatives of Huawei staff, while more than 30 million netizens watched livestream of her arrival.
Crowds holding welcome banners gather at the airport's arrival hall earlier Saturday.
It was also a special day for the city of Shenzhen, and the city's landmark skyscrapers were also fully lit up in cheering on this exciting moment. The Ping'an International Financial Center, a major landmark in Shenzhen, was lit up to welcome Meng's return.
The Ping'an International Financial Center is lit up to welcome Meng's return.
