INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image caption
Meng Wanzhou is currently under house arrest at her home in Vancouver, pictured above
On a
corner in a leafy, exclusive area of Vancouver sits a solid-looking grey house
At the front, there is a low wall with a well-maintained garden behind.At first sight, it appears little different to the other homes around
But outside the main door there is a security guard and in the street others sit watching from expensive black vehicles.This is one of two
Vancouver homes owned by Meng Wanzhou, the Chinese business executive arrested at the city's airport in December.Her detention has led to
a ferocious diplomatic row between China and Canada - and accusations of retaliation by Beijing.It has also given the world a glimpse of
something rarely seen: the personal life of a member of the Chinese elite.'A quiet and modest individual'Ms Meng is currently on bail
She is due in court early next month (Feb 6), when she is expected to hear whether Canada will begin extraditing her to the United States
She is accused of selling telecom equipment to Iran in contravention of US sanctions.As part of her bail conditions, she has a curfew
between 11pm and 6am, has to wear an ankle bracelet that tracks her movements and must live in the grey corner house
All bail expenses are hers.Image copyrightReutersImage caption
Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver last December
The security guard, and his colleagues, are there to make sure Meng Wanzhou does not try to escape from Canada - but they also
appear to have taken on the role of shielding their charge from the prying eyes of the outside world."I'm sorry, I can't let you on the
property," the man on duty told the TheIndianSubcontinent
He would not even reveal whether the Huawei executive was at home or out
While on bail, she is allowed to travel over much of Vancouver.Ms Meng seems keen to protect her privacy.When the TheIndianSubcontinent
visited, the blinds were closed so it was impossible to see inside the house
But there were occasional signs of life: a furniture delivery van arrived, bags of shopping were carried in and a maid vacuumed the
porch.There is a good reason why Meng Wanzhou was detained in Vancouver and not anywhere else
Documents released by the Supreme Court of British Columbia, which will hear her extradition case, show she has extensive ties to the
area.Her main home may be in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, but the 46-year-old, Huawei's chief financial officer, has been
visiting Vancouver for 15 years.She originally came as a tourist, but obviously saw something she liked.Image copyrightCourt handoutImage
caption
The high-flying Huawei executive became a permanent resident of Canada after visiting as a tourist
Troy Van Vliet, whose company, Tavan, builds expensive homes for wealthy Chinese clients in Vancouver, suggested what that might be."Other
than clean air, other than mountains, other than it being a beautiful place to live, other than stable government - they want their kids to
be educated in the West," he said.That fits with Meng Wanzhou's history
Some of her four children - three sons and a daughter - were educated in Vancouver
Her husband, Liu Xiaozong, worked on a master's degree here
While her children were at school in the city, the grey house became Ms Meng's main home
At one point, she became a permanent resident of Canada, a status since relinquished.Her extended family, including her in-laws, were
regular visitors.Image copyrightCourt handoutImage caption
Canada became not just a home for Ms Meng, but her family
too
Photographs released by the court show Ms Meng and her family enjoying themselves at popular tourist spots in Vancouver;
Stanley Park, Lion's Gate Bridge and Cypress Mountain.The family also made a good impression with at least some local residents, to whom
Ms Meng is known as Cathy or Sabrina
Her husband, who describes himself as a self-employed venture capitalist, goes by the name Carlos.In support of Ms Meng's bail
application, neighbour Nancy Sather wrote: "Conversations with her gave one the impression of a quiet and modest individual who considered
her family and children a priority."In another indication of the loyalty enjoyed by the Chinese executive, four Canadian citizens put up
husband used to work at Huawei, has promised part of her home to ensure Ms Meng does not flee Canada.Image copyrightCourt handoutImage
caption
Ms Meng's children, pictured here, all receive their education in Canada
'Exit strategy'Before
her arrest, Meng Wanzhou seemed to have been deepening her ties to Vancouver.The house with the security guard outside, valued at C$5.6m
But three years ago she bought another home, far larger and worth three times as much.This second house is currently being renovated; the
executive's current difficulties have not stopped the workmen.The Chinese-looking cross-beamed roof over the main entrance hints at the
owner's nationality, and the elegance within.Image caption
Ms Meng's potential extradition has not deterred workmen
from renovating her second home, also in Vancouver
To find out what kind of interiors Chinese families enjoy, Troy Van Vliet
took me to one of his houses.The inside of the home Troy built looks like something usually seen only in celebrity magazines
Light bounced off shiny marble and polished wood.In the basement alone there is a bar, a temperature-controlled wine cellar and a grand
piano.Then Troy showed me one of the many indulgences enjoyed by those who can afford this kind of luxury: two kitchens.The main kitchen -
with its high-end appliances and gleaming surfaces - is mostly for show; the real cooking gets done in a separate room off the back.This
secondary kitchen, which can be sealed off, is there to make sure "the whole house doesn't end up smelling of what you're having for
dinner", said Troy.The main kitchen might only be used to heat up water for tea, he added.Image copyrightTavanImage caption
Having two kitchens is one of the many luxuries enjoyed by residents of Vancouver's million-dollar mansions
Troy's
tour made it clear why wealthy Chinese families would want to come to Vancouver; Fenella Sung, an activist, explained why they might want to
leave China in the first place."In China, your personal safety is not always guaranteed
Today you are in power, tomorrow you could be in prison," she said as we walked round Ms Meng's neighbourhood."That's why these people
They get their children to go to school here, their elderly parents to retire here - to give them one foot outside China."There are a number
of concerns about the influx of rich Chinese families arriving in Vancouver; about possible money laundering and the steep rise in house
prices that are now beyond many locals' reach.Fenella Sung, who came to Vancouver from Hong Kong nearly 30 years ago, said homes are often
empty for much of the year, creating "dead zones" across wealthy parts of the city.This all has consequences for Vancouver, she said
"The irony is that they are destroying the way of life that they have come here to enjoy."
