WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department expressed concern on Tuesday about reports a Canadian citizen has been detained in China following the arrest of Huawei Technologies’ [HWT.UL] chief financial officer in Canada, and it urged Beijing to end arbitrary detentions.

“The United States is concerned by these reports that a Canadian citizen has been detained in China. We’ve urged China to end all forms of arbitrary detention and to respect the protections and freedoms of all individuals under China’s international human rights and consular commitments,” State Department spokesman Robert Palladino told reporters.

He defended the arrest of Huawei’s chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, in Canada on a U.S. warrant, saying she was accused of putting financial institutions at risk of criminal and civil liability in the United States by deceiving them about the extent of Huawei’s business in Iran.