China defends execution of British man

China has defended its decision to execute a British man convicted of drug smuggling, saying it was an independent criminal case that adhered to the law.

Akmal Shaikh, 53, from London, had denied any wrongdoing and his family said he was mentally ill.

The UK Foreign Office has said they provided evidence of Mr Shaikh's mental health problems but China did not conduct a health assessment before the execution.

In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Jiang Yu, said: "We urge Britain to correct their mistake to avoid damaging bilateral relations".