MONTREAL, Dec 29 — A Canadian citizen who was detained in China earlier this month has returned to Canada after being released from custody, a government spokesman said yesterday.

The spokesman did not specify when the Canadian was released or returned to Canada. Earlier in the day, broadcaster CBC identified the citizen as Canadian teacher Sarah McIver.

China’s Foreign Ministry said earlier this month that McIver, was undergoing "administrative punishment” for working illegally.

McIver was the third Canadian to be detained by China following the December 1 arrest in Vancouver of Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, but a Canadian official has said that there was no reason to believe that the woman’s detention was linked to the prior arrests.

Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland did not mention the woman in calling for the release of the other two Canadians last week. — Reuters