A friend of Sarah McIver, an Alberta woman who was detained while teaching English in China, said Ms. McIver has told her family that she would be held for 10 days and then deported.

Ms. McIver is the third Canadian detained in China this month amid increasing tensions between the two countries over the arrest of a senior executive with Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.

Jenn Smith, who says she has known Ms. McIver for about a decade, said she spoke to Ms. McIver’s mother, whom she would not name, on Tuesday. Ms. Smith said Ms. McIver indicated that she would be home soon.

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Ms. Smith said Ms. McIver’s mother told her: “'Sarah reassured me that everything was okay, that she’s fine, that they are holding her for 10 days.'”

China’s foreign ministry had said Ms. McIver, detained this week, is being held in China for working illegally and is under “administrative punishment." The Canadian government has said her arrest does not seem to be related to the Huawei case.

Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer, was arrested on Dec. 1 at the request of the United States, which is seeking her extradition on fraud allegations related to U.S. sanctions against Iran. Ms. Meng has denied the accusations, which have not been tested in court, and has been released on bail in Vancouver.

The incident has inflamed tensions between Canada and China and raised concerns about the safety of Canadians working or travelling in the country.

Ms. Smith said she learned of Ms. McIver’s detention on Tuesday, through a phone call from Ms. McIver’s mother. In a subsequent call, Ms. McIver’s mother said she had spoken to her daughter, who told her she would be deported after the 10 days are up, recalled Ms. Smith.

Ms. Smith said she met Ms. McIver when they both worked at the same pub in Red Deer. She last saw Ms. McIver in August, the night before she left for China, when her friend came into the restaurant where Ms. Smith works to tell her she was on her way.

The visit was emotional because Ms. McIver had not been planning to leave until a few weeks later, Ms. Smith said.

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“She came in to say goodbye – she kind of left on the spur of the moment, because she was not supposed to go until the end of August and then she had it sprung on her that she would have to go sooner," Ms. Smith recalled.

"So she came in, we cried a little bit, she gave me a hug and told me she’d be home at Christmas,” she added.

When Ms. McIver’s mother phoned her, Ms. Smith recognized the number and assumed it was her friend calling to say she was home.

Ms. Smith described Ms. McIver as friendly, considerate and an avid traveller. The two had not spoken or messaged since Ms. McIver left for China, but Ms. Smith said that was not unusual as the two did not keep in regular communication when Ms. McIver was travelling but would always catch up when she was home. From speaking to Ms. McIver’s mother, Ms. Smith believes Ms. McIver was detained over visa-related problems, perhaps because she changed job locations.

Ms. McIver always tried to have her paperwork in order, Ms. Smith said. “Before she is going on trips, she makes sure everything is in order before she goes,” Ms. Smith said.

“She’s sweet, she’s kind, she’s happy, she’s so smart – and she just loves different cultures,” Ms. Smith said.

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Ms. Smith said Ms. McIver is in her mid-30s and has previously taught abroad.