China lashed out at Australia regarding its “concern” with the death sentence for Canadian convicted drug smuggler

China has lashed out at Australia regarding its “concern” with the death sentence handed to a Canadian man convicted over a plan to smuggle drugs.

China has slammed Australia in response to criticism of the death sentence handed to a Canadian drug smuggler.

The Australian Government has expressed concern for Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, 36, who has been sentenced to death after being convicted over a plan to smuggle more than 222kg of methamphetamine to Australia through Dalian, a port city in China’s north.

The Chinese Government said Australia’s response was “strange”.

“The smuggled drugs were going to be sent to Australia. You should ask the Australian officials if they were happy to see these drugs being imported into their country,” the SMH reported Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying saying.

Acting Foreign Minister Simon Birmingham said the Australian Government was “deeply concerned with this case”.

“We expect at a level of principle that not only the death penalty should not be applied but also wherever people are in trouble the rule of law ought be applied fairly,” he told ABC radio yesterday.

Canadian man Robert Schellenberg maintains his innocence — and is at the centre of growing tensions between Canada and China.Source:Supplied

Two months before his execution sentence, the same court had sentenced Schellenberg to 15 years in prison, but a retrial charged him with being a key figure, rather than just an accessory.

Schellenberg has claimed he is innocent, telling the court, according to Canadian media: “I am not a drug smuggler. I am not a drug user. I am a normal person. I am innocent.”

He claimed a friend recommended a translator for his visit, and that translator ended up having connections to an international drug-smuggling ring.

Western legal experts have said the trial is an attempt by China to place pressure on Canada over its arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer and daughter of the founder of Chinese telco giant Huawei.

Former Canadian foreign minister Peter Mackay told The Wall Street Journal it was in part China’s way of warning the other nations against aligning with the US against Beijing — based on the fact that the arrest of Meng came at America’s request.

“We are a bit like the meat in a sandwich right now,” he said. “They wouldn’t dream of doing this to the US.”

Meng was arrested in Vancouver on December 1, angering the Chinese Government.Source:Supplied

Meng was arrested in Vancouver on December 1, where she was facing extradition to the United States on suspicion she violated US sanctions against Iran.

Her highly publicised arrest saw the Chinese Government threatening Canada with consequences.

Tensions are growing between the Chinese and Canadian governments. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a strongly worded statement on the matter.

“It is of extreme concern to us as a government — as it should be to all our international friends and allies — that China has chosen to begin to arbitrarily apply a death penalty,” he told reporters in Ottawa.

Canada’s foreign ministry has also updated its travel advisory to include a warning about the “arbitrary enforcement of local laws”.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has issued a strongly worded statement as tensions with China grow.

China subsequently blasted Mr Trudeau for his “irresponsible” remarks, with Ms Hua expressing “strong dissatisfaction” over the remarks.

“The remarks by the relevant Canadian person lack the most basic awareness of the legal system,” she said.

She also took Canada to task for issuing the updated travel advisory. She said that Canada should instead remind its people to not engage in drug smuggling in China.

“We urge the Canadian side to respect the rule of law, respect China’s legal sovereignty, correct its mistakes, and stop making irresponsible remarks,” Ms Hua said.