A staffer at the British Consulate General in Hong Kong has been detained in China for “solicitation of prostitution,” according to a state-backed newspaper.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed Wednesday that Simon Cheng had been detained in the border city of Shenzhen neighboring Hong Kong.

The trade and investment officer at the consulate in the former British colony was slapped with 15 days of administrative detention for “solicitation of prostitution,” the Global Times reported.

Cheng violated “China’s law on administrative penalties for public security, which states that people who engage in prostitution or visit prostitutes shall be detained for no less than 10 days but no more than 15 days,” the news outlet reported.

“They may also be fined for 5,000 yuan ($705),” it added.

In response to questions about why authorities did not inform Cheng’s family about his detention, “police said it was Cheng’s request,” according to the Global Times.

Britain’s Foreign Office told Reuters it was continuing to “urgently seek further information about Simon’s case.”

“Neither we nor Simon’s family have been able to speak to him since his detention. That is our priority and we continue to raise Simon’s case repeatedly in China, Hong Kong and London and have sought to make contact with Simon himself,” it added.

Cheng did not return to work on Aug. 9 after visiting Shenzhen the previous day, according to Hong Kong news website HK01, which cited an interview with his girlfriend and family.

His family confirmed his disappearance in a Facebook post Tuesday, saying he traveled from Hong Kong to Shenzhen on Aug. 8 for a business trip.

Allegations of visiting prostitutes have proved false in some cases where Hong Kong residents have been detained in China, according to Bloomberg News.

A Hong Kong lawmaker apologized after accusing Communist Party critic Lee Bo of visiting prostitutes, the news outlet reported, citing a 2016 report by the South China Morning Post.

Hong Kong has been swept by anti-government protests in recent weeks, with China accusing Britain and other Western countries of interfering in its affairs.

Britain, the US and other countries have urged Beijing to respect the “one country, two systems” formula under which Hong Kong returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997.