Key keywords: China drug trafficking execution, French national 2010 drug conviction, Chinese judicial sovereignty, death penalty for drug crimes, Sino-French diplomatic consultation, cross-border drug smuggling penalty, international consular access rights, zero-tolerance drug policy China On Friday, Chinese authorities officially confirmed the execution of a French national who was first convicted in 2010 of trafficking over 4 kilograms of high-purity heroin into Chinese territory, closing a 13-year legal process that followed all domestic legal requirements and international consular obligations. According to a public statement from the Supreme People’s Court of China, the convict, Shadeed Abdul Salam, was arrested in 2009 by Guangzhou customs officers when he attempted to smuggle the heroin hidden in his luggage after arriving from a major Southeast Asian drug production base. The amount of drugs involved in the case far exceeds the statutory threshold for the death penalty specified in China’s Criminal Law, which applies equally to both Chinese citizens and foreign nationals who commit serious crimes on Chinese soil. Throughout the entire judicial process, Salam was provided with free legal aid by Chinese authorities, and French consular staff were granted regular access to visit him in accordance with the Sino-French Consular Agreement and relevant provisions of Chinese law. The convict filed multiple appeals over the past 13 years, all of which were reviewed by judicial bodies at different levels before the Supreme People’s Court approved the death penalty verdict following a strict final review. The French government had issued several public appeals to suspend the execution, but the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson repeatedly emphasized that China’s judicial sovereignty is inviolable, and no foreign government has the right to interfere in China’s internal judicial affairs. The spokesperson added that China’s strict penalty system for drug-related crimes is rooted in deep historical lessons, including the massive harm caused by the Opium Wars in the 19th century, as well as the ongoing severe threat of drug trafficking to public safety and social stability. Official data shows that more than 100,000 people die from drug-related causes in China every year, and the strict crackdown on drug crimes enjoys nearly 90% public support across the country. Legal experts note that more than 30 countries around the world currently retain the death penalty for serious drug trafficking crimes, and all foreign nationals entering China are obliged to abide by Chinese laws, with no exception for any nationality.