BEIJING - Police in Beijing have arrested Chinese-Canadian pop star Kris Wu on rape allegations.

Chaoyang District Municipal Public Security Bureau said on microblogging platform Weibo last night that the police had detained a Canadian by the surname of Wu, 30, on suspicions of rape.

Investigations are ongoing.

While the police did not identify Wu by his full name, the performer has been embroiled in a public scandal after Ms Du Meizhu, 18, accused him of having sex with her while she was unconscious.

She said on Weibo last month that Wu invited her and other girls to his house where they were pressured to drink alcohol last December. She was 17 then, a minor under Chinese law. They later had sex.

Wu then transferred 32,000 yuan (S$6,700) to her three days later, allegedly for online shopping. The two remained in touch on WeChat until April this year.

The age for sexual consent in China is 14, but under-18s are still considered minors.

Ms Du's post drew widespread support, and at least 24 women have come forward to accuse Wu of inappropriate behaviour.

He has denied the allegations.

Beijing police said in July that investigations showed Ms Du and Wu had sex after drinking, and that Ms Du had shared her story as a way to increase her visibility.

Ms Du insisted that the sex was non-consensual as she had passed out after drinking. She claimed Wu's manager took her in an unconscious state to Wu's room.

She said in a now-deleted post on Weibo after the police statement that she had neither wanted to stay behind nor taken the initiative to go into Wu's room.

She said Wu's representatives offered her hush money after she accused him of rape.

Screenshots of a chat history showed her negotiating details of a settlement plan with Wu's representatives and a copy of a contract his team offered her. She then received 500,000 yuan via two bank transfers.

She told local press she returned the money in instalments, and she was prepared to face legal action.

The allegations against Wu have sparked debate on the issue of sexual consent in China. Netizens have supported Ms Du, and called for Wu to quit the entertainment industry and leave China.

Wu shot to fame as a member of South Korean band EXO. He has represented brands such as Louis Vuitton, Porsche and Bulgari. The brands cut ties with him after the rape allegations.