Canada says it is trying to make contact with a second Canadian being investigated by China on suspicion of harming its national security.
News that businessman Michael Spavor was missing emerged soon after the arrest of ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig.
Tension between China and Canada has grown since it arrested a Chinese businesswoman at the request of the US.
Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer at telecoms giant Huawei, could face extradition as a consequence.
She is suspected of violating US sanctions on Iran through Huawei’s business dealings.
China has threatened unspecified consequences if she is not released.
Michael Spavor is a businessman based in Dandong, near the Chinese border with North Korea. He has deep ties to the North Korean government.
Ex-diplomat Michael Kovrig currently works for a think tank, the International Crisis Group (ICG), which has said it is concerned for his health and safety.
1 December: Meng Wanzhou arrested in Canadian city of Vancouver at the request of the US as part of an inquiry into alleged sanctions-busting by her company Huawei
10 December: Canadian former diplomat Michael Kovrig arrested in Beijing “on suspicion of engaging in activities that harm China’s state security”
11 December: Meng Wanzhou released on bail but still faces the prospect of extradition to the US
12 December: Canada announces that a second Canadian, later named as businessman Michael Spavor, is missing in China; China confirms he is being likewise investigated over “activities that endanger China’s national security”
Both men were apparently detained following the arrest of Ms Meng although after the detention of Mr Kovrig, Canada said there was currently no “explicit indication” of any link.
Canadian officials said the reason for Mr Kovrig’s detention remained unclear while Chinese state media have reported that he is being held “on suspicion of engaging in activities that harm China’s state security”.
At a news conference in Ottawa on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said Mr Kovrig’s case had been raised directly with Chinese officials.
Foreign ministry spokesman Guillaume Bérubé confirmed that Mr Spavor was “presently missing in China” after Ms Freeland said a second Canadian had contacted them earlier in the week because “he was being asked questions by Chinese authorities”.
Canada is working hard to determine Mr Spavor’s whereabouts, Mr Bérubé said,
China state media confirmed on Thursday that, as with the previous arrest, Mr Spavor was under investigation on suspicion of “engaging in activities that endanger China’s national security”.
Mr Spavor runs an organisation called Paektu Cultural Exchange, which organises business, culture and tourism trips to North Korea.
He is a regular visitor to North Korea and regularly comments in the media on Korean issues. He is particularly well known for helping to arrange the visit by former NBA star Dennis Rodman to North Korea in 2013.
Rodman is a personal friend of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
One of Mr Spavor’s last tweets, on Sunday, said he was about to travel to Seoul in South Korea, but he did not arrive on Monday as planned.
The former Canadian resident was detained in Vancouver where she has family and property connections.
She was granted bail of C$10m (£6m; $7.4m) on Tuesday but could still be extradited to the US.
The US has been investigating Huawei, one of the world’s largest smartphone makers, since 2016, believing that it used a subsidiary to bring US manufacturing equipment and millions of dollars in transactions to Iran illegally.
The Supreme Court of British Columbia was told Ms Meng had used a Huawei subsidiary called Skycom to evade sanctions on Iran between 2009 and 2014.
She had allegedly misrepresented Skycom as being a separate company.
Ms Meng faces up to 30 years in prison in the US if found guilty of the charges, the Canadian court heard.
China and Huawei insist that she has not broken any laws.
BBC
