The court's sentence comes amid heightened tension between Beijing and Ottawa over the arrest of a Huawei Technologies executive.

Canadian Fan Wei was a leader in the production and trafficking scheme, the Jiangmen Intermediate People’s Court said in a statement.

Another suspect, Wu Ziping, was also sentenced to death but Wu’s nationality was not given. The court also did not specify the gender of either Fan or Wu.

The court also issued judgments against nine other people, including one American and four Mexicans.

It did not specify what sentences five of the nine received though it indicated the minimum they got was life in prison. It said the other four had been jailed, though it did not say for how long.

Court officials could not be reached for comment.

All 11 can appeal their sentences.

Fan is the second Canadian to be sentenced to death for drugs in China this year, during a period of escalating tension between the two countries.

In December, Canadian police arrested Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, at the request of U.S. prosecutors.

U.S. prosecutors have portrayed the company as a threat to national security and alleged that it conspired to violate U.S. sanctions. Both Meng, who is out on bail, and Huawei deny the allegations.

China has also recently arrested two Canadians on national security grounds.

China has also canceled Canadian agribusiness Richardson International Ltd’s registration to ship canola to China this year.