A third Canadian citizen has been detained in China, Canada's National Post newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing the Canadian foreign ministry.

A spokesperson with Global Affairs Canada said it was 'aware of a Canadian citizen' who has been detained, but did not provide further details, citing the Privacy Act.

At a daily news briefing in Beijing, China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she was unaware of the situation.

Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou arrives at a parole office with a security guard in Vancouver on December 12. She was arrested on Dec 1 by Canadian police

The department did not suggest the detention of the third Canadian was linked to the arrest of Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou on December 1 in Vancouver.

'I am unaware of the situation you're referring to,' Hua said in response to a reporter's question about the detention of a third Canadian citizen.

The National Post could not confirm the identity of the detained citizen. But a source who had spoken to the individual's family told the newspaper that the individual was not a diplomat or an entrepreneur.

Meng was detained at the request of the U.S., which accuses Huawei of using a Hong Kong shell company to sell equipment to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions.

Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig (pictured) were both picked up after Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. extradition request

She is the also vice chairman of Huawei, the second-largest smartphone creator in the world and the daughter of the company's founder, Ren Zhengfei.

After three days of hearings, Meng was released on bail of C$10million (US$7.4million) on Tuesday evening - on the condition she surrender her two passports and agree to wear an ankle bracelet. She will have to stay in Vancouver and its suburbs and confine herself to one of her two Vancouver homes from 11pm to 6am.

She is to return to court early next year for what could be an extended legal proceeding.

Her case has set off a diplomatic furore among the three countries and complicated high-stakes U.S.-China trade talks.

In apparent retaliation, China has detained a former Canadian diplomat, Michael Kovrig last week. He is facing accusations of harming state security.

Canadian businessman Michael Spavor arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport after a trip to North Korea in January 2014. John McCallum, Canada's ambassador to Beijing, met Spavor on Sunday, the Canadian ministry said

A second Canadian, Michael Spavor, a businessman with deep ties to the North Korean government, has been detained also for 'activities that endanger China's national security', Beijing confirmed.

On Monday, John McCallum, Canada's ambassador to Beijing, met Spavor on Sunday, the Canadian ministry said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau - who said on Friday the detentions were unacceptable - told CTV his government was taking the situation very seriously.

'We have engaged with the Chinese officials to determine what exactly conditions are they being detained under? Why are they being detained?' he said in an interview aired on Sunday. McCallum met Kovrig for the first time on Friday.