FM spokesperson urges relevant countries to respect China's judicial sovereignty

BEIJING, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- A foreign ministry spokesperson on Thursday urged relevant countries to uphold the rule of law, respect China's judicial sovereignty, and cease making irresponsible remarks.

Spokesperson Hua Chunying's remarks came after Canada launched accusations against China's verdicts in the cases of two Canadian nationals. Michael Spavor was handed an 11-year jail sentence for espionage, and Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was handed a death sentence for drug smuggling. The European Union and Britain have voiced their support for Canada.

Canada is ganging up with a handful of countries to confuse right and wrong, with no regard for facts. They are pointing fingers at relevant courts' lawful handling of cases involving Canadian citizens in China, which has gravely interfered in China's judicial sovereignty and severely violated the spirit of the rule of law. China strongly condemns this, Hua said.

Schellenberg was involved in organized international drug trafficking and the smuggling of over 222 kilograms of methamphetamine. The amount of drugs involved in this case is particularly large, Hua said.

Michael Spavor was prosecuted on suspicion of committing crimes undermining China's national security, and his case was heard in March this year in accordance with the law.

Relevant Chinese courts have pronounced their judgments in public in accordance with the law on the basis of the trial and investigation of the crimes. All legal rights of the two individuals have been fully guaranteed, Hua said.

No foreign identity can act as a "talisman," she said, adding that China is a country under the rule of law, and judicial authorities treat all criminals as equals and handle all cases in strict accordance with the law, regardless of nationality.

On one hand, Canada claims to be a champion of the rule of law and judicial independence, but on the other hand, it openly interferes in the independent handling of cases by China's judicial authorities in accordance with the law, she said.

Canada brazenly tramples on the principle that everyone should be equal before the law, fully exposing its hypocrisy of double standards and its true intention of politicizing legal issues, Hua said.

"Attempts to conduct 'megaphone diplomacy' and gang up on China have failed in the past, and will never have their way in the future," she said.