Beijing is disappointed by London's reaction to the execution of a British drug smuggler, Chinese Foreign Ministry official spokeswoman Jiang Yu said on Tuesday.

"We express our strong dissatisfaction and disappointment to Britain's accusations," Jiang Yu said.

"The Chinese judiciary system has handled (the case) strictly in accordance with the law," she explained.

The state-controlled Xinhua news agency reported that China has confirmed the execution by lethal injection in Urumqi, the capital of the westernmost Xinjiang province.

Akmal Shaikh, 53, has become the first western European in 50 years to be executed in China. Shaikh was detained by Chinese police in 2007 for having 4 kilograms of heroin in his possession.

"I condemn the execution of Akmal Shaikh in the strongest terms, and am appalled and disappointed that our persistent requests for clemency have not been granted. I am particularly concerned that no mental health assessment was undertaken," British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was reported by BBC as saying.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband also "deeply regretted" the outcome of the case, citing Shaikh's mental health issues and interpretation problems during his trial.

Family members said Shaikh had no idea he was carrying drugs in a suitcase when he was detained. His daughter, Leilla Hornsell, said her father was approached in Poland by a group of individuals, who promised to make him a music star in China if he delivered a suitcase. Shaikh suffers from a bipolar mental disorder.

Amnesty International said in a report that China carried out 72% of all executions in the world in 2008. The group said 1,718 people were executed in China. Those sentenced to death are usually shot.

BEIJING, December 29 (RIA Novosti)