China handles Philippine drug convict by law

BEIJING - Chinese judicial authorities made a fair judgement on the drug-trafficking case of a Philippine woman, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Monday.

Hua made the remarks when asked to comment on media reports that Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay, who urged leniency for the female convict, had been denied a visit to China.

On Wednesday, China's Supreme People's Court approved a lower court's decision to sentence the 35-year-old Philippine woman to death for smuggling 6.198 kilograms of heroin into China in January 2011, said an official statement from the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department.

Drug-related crime is a serious crime recognized worldwide for its grave social effects, said Hua, adding that China's judicial department treats foreign drug convicts equally and handles their cases in accordance with the law.

She said China strictly implements international obligations and fully guarantees litigation rights and legitimate treatment for a defendant throughout a trial.

The Philippine woman trafficked a large amount of drugs into China, said Hua, noting that the facts of her crime are clear and the evidence is conclusive.

China maintains capital punishment but uses it cautiously, with all death sentences subject to strict legal procedures and regulations, she said.

"China hopes that all foreign nationals in China will understand and abide by Chinese law, and not to engage in illegal activities," said the spokeswoman.