SYDNEY: Australia's prime minister expressed concern on Monday (Jun 15) after an Australian man was sentenced to death, in a case that could further inflame tensions between Beijing and Canberra.
A Chinese court revealed on Saturday that Karm Gilespie, a Sydney-based actor turned investment coach, had been condemned to death earlier in the week on drug smuggling charges – after being held secretly in jail for seven years.
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The sentence raised worries it could add to increasingly troubled diplomatic and trade relations between Australia and China, its biggest trade partner.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australian authorities were aware of the arrest and had been in touch with their Chinese counterparts on multiple occasions over his case.
"I and the government are very sad and concerned that an Australian citizen, Mr Karm Gilespie has been sentenced to death in China," he said.
READ: China sentences Australian man to death for drug trafficking
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Chinese state media said Gilespie, in his mid-fifties, was arrested on New Year's eve in 2013 at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, northwest of Hong Kong, with more than 7.5kg of methamphetamine in his checked luggage.
His arrest was not made public and friends told Australian media they had been confounded by his sudden disappearance.
Gilespie's family issued a statement Monday asking his acquaintances to "refrain from speculating on his current circumstances, which we do not believe assists his case".
"Our family is very saddened by the situation. We will not be making any public comment and ask that the media respects our privacy at this difficult time," they said in the statement issued through the foreign ministry.
The sentence could further damage the increasingly troubled relationship between Beijing and Canberra, with tensions growing recently after China reacted furiously to Australia's call for a probe into the origins ofRead More – Source
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