The mother of pop singer Wanting Qu — who is also dating the Vancouver mayor — has been arrested in China for alleged corruption.
"Obviously it's a personal issue for her," Mayor Gregor Robertson told reporters on Friday. "It's been many months with no information and that's very tough. I have next to no information."
Qu Zhang Mingjie, a city official in Harbin where the singer was born, has been detained since last fall, according to Chinese state media cited by the South Morning China Post.
The China Daily said the elder Qu's arrest is connected to selling state properties below market value for personal profit, according to CTV News.
"I love my mom dearly and I am truly heartbroken," Wanting Qu wrote on her Facebook page on Friday.
Qu, an only child, and her mother had a strained relationship that she alluded to in a Facebook post earlier this month:
"I must admit I feel regretful for not being in her life for the past 15 years. I also feel somewhat resentful towards her for not being in mine since I was a teen. But over the years, she's forgiven me because she's found pride and joy in my success in life. And I've forgiven her because I've grown to understand fully that no one is perfect."
Qu, who sings in English and Mandarin, is an award-winning, platinum-selling pop star in China, with a lower profile in Canada. She moved from China to Vancouver as a teen but soon abandoned her university studies to pursue a music career.
Qu, 31, and the Vancouver mayor publicly confirmed their relationship on Valentine's Day with a selfie on Weibo, a Chinese social media site. The singer continues to periodically post photos of the pair together on her social media accounts.
Last summer, Robertson, 50, announced he had separated amicably from his wife, Amy, after almost 30 years together. The couple has four adult children.
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