WASHINGTON, Jan 16 — The United States and Canada today promised an "unbiased” legal process for a Chinese executive whose arrest in Vancouver at US request has riled Beijing.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland discussed the arrest yesterday in a phone call in which they also voiced concern about the "arbitrary detentions” of Canadians in China, the US State Department said.

"They noted their continued commitment to Canada’s conduct of a fair, unbiased and transparent legal proceeding and US extradition request with respect to Ms. Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei,” a State Department statement said.

Meng was detained last month as she switched planes, on a request by the United States, which says she violated Washington’s sanctions on Iran.

Soon afterward, China detained two Canadians, a former diplomat and a businessman, on accusations of endangering national security, moves seen in Ottawa and Washington as retaliatory.

A Chinese court on Monday also sentenced a Canadian man to death for drug trafficking, saying his earlier sentence was too lenient.

Meng — the daughter of the founder of Huawei, a major Chinese telecom firm — is free on Can$10 million (US$7.5 million) bail as she awaits a hearing on extradition to the United States. — AFP