Chinese court sentences Canadian national to death for manufacturing drugs

China's Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court on Thursday sentenced a Canadian national named Xu Weihong to death for manufacturing drugs, according to local authorities.

Later in the day, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) commented on Xu's case at a regular press conference.

"Drug-related crimes are considered serious crimes worldwide. Chinese law retains death sentence and controls its application strictly," said MOFA spokesperson Wang Wenbing.

"Chinese law stipulates that every criminal is equal in the application of the law and China's judicial authorities handle cases involving criminals of different nationalities in accordance with the law," Wang added.

Wang said China's judicial authorities handle cases independently and in strict accordance with the Chinese law and legal procedures, and this particular case should not affect China-Canada relations.