China urges Canada not to interfere in its judicial sovereignty

China urged Canada to stop interfering in its judicial sovereignty on Thursday, pointing out it's a shared responsibility for all countries to fight drug-related crimes.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning made the remarks at a regular news conference, after reports quoted Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly as saying that China had executed four Canadian citizens in recent months on drug-related charges.

China upholds the rule of law and treats defendants from different countries equally, Mao said.

China has handled the cases impartially and in strict accordance with the law and guaranteed the rights of the individuals involved in the cases, as well as the consular rights of the Canadian side, Mao said.

"The Canadian side should respect the spirit of the rule of law," Mao said.