China defends handling of Xinjiang executions

China on Tuesday defended its handling of the executions of nine people over deadly ethnic unrest in its far-western Xinjiang region in July, saying the cases were dealt with "according to law".

So far, 21 people have been convicted over the violence that erupted in the regional capital Urumqi, which left 197 people dead, according to an official toll. Twelve were sentenced to death, but three were given suspended sentences.

The United States urged China to ensure fair, transparent trials following the executions, putting the thorny issue of human rights in the spotlight just days before US President Barack Obama makes his first visit to China.

"The people you mentioned are criminals involved in the deaths in Urumqi on July 5th," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters in response to a question about the executions -- the first relating to the Xinjiang unrest.

"The Chinese government has dealt with these relevant cases according to law."

The violence in Urumqi saw fierce clashes between members of the local Muslim Uighur community, who claim they are oppressed, and China's majority Han ethnic group.

The ethnic unrest in the vast region bordering Central Asia, China's worst in decades, left 197 people dead and more than 1,600 injured, according to an official toll.

The US reacted quickly to the news of the executions, with State Department spokesman Ian Kelly saying Washington "continues to urge China to handle all detentions and judicial processes relating to the Urumqi violence in a transparent manner".

"We also urge China to ensure that the legal rights of all Chinese citizens are respected in accordance with international standards of due process," he said. Related article: China police head urges tighter web controls

Obama is expected to push for a broader long-term relationship with China when he arrives here next week, but also to raise sensitive human rights issues in talks with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao, according to US officials.

"The president will raise human rights concerns directly with President Hu in his meetings," said Jeffrey Bader, the US president's senior director for Asian affairs on the National Security Council.

"The kind of issues that are on our minds are issues of freedom of expression, access to information, freedom of religion, rule of law."