Former Canadian diplomat detained in China

A former Canadian diplomat has reportedly been detained in China and his current employer says it is working for his "prompt and safe release".

The International Crisis Group said it was "aware of reports" of Michael Kovrig's detention.

Michael Kovrig's detention comes after police in Canada arrested the chief financial officer of China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd on December 1 at the request of U.S. authorities, a move that has infuriated Beijing.

It was not immediately clear if the cases were related, but the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver has stoked fears of reprisals against the foreign business community in China.

Kovrig had previously worked as a diplomat in Beijing, Hong Kong and at the UN in New York.

Kovrig has been working since February 2017 as North East senior advisor for the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think tank that focuses on conflict reduction research.

He worked with Canada's foreign affairs ministry between 2010 and 2016 and was posted in Hong Kong and Beijing between 2012 and 2016.

Meng faces extradition to the US, where she could be jailed for up to 30 years if found guilty of breaking US sanctions on Iran. and faces extradition to the US.

China has demanded that Canada release of Meng or face consequences. The US is seeking her extradition.