Beijing, China - Robert Lloyd Schellenberg has been spared the death sentence in China on drug-related charges mere weeks after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Beijing.

Schellenberg was detained in 2014 and initially sentenced to 15 years in prison for drug trafficking offenses relating to a scheme to ship narcotics to Australia. He and his legal team have denied all such charges.

Amid ongoing spats between Beijing and Ottawa in 2019, however, Chinese authorities declared that the sentence was too lenient and sentenced him to death in a one-day trial that has been denounced by rights organizations.

In January, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited China and met with President Xi Jinping in a continued effort to thaw relations and kickstart a new trade relationship.

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Chinese authorities hailed the visit as a "turning point" in China-Canada ties, and Carney hailed the visit as a success, declaring that a "new strategic partnership" had been established.

Schellenberg's lawyer Zhang Dongshuo confirmed that on Friday China's highest court granted him clemency from the death sentence and announced a retrial, a decision which he largely credits to Carney's visit in January.

"Judging from both countries' official remarks after the Canadian prime minister visited China, the likelihood of the Supreme Court's decision [being related] is very high, according to my experience," Zhang reportedly said.

Canadian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Thida Ith said in a statement that Ottawa is "aware of a decision issued by the Supreme People's Court" and will continue to provide Schellenberg and his family with consular services.

"We've learned that relevant Chinese judicial authorities recently reviewed the death penalty case and issued a ruling. For anything specific, I’d refer you to competent authorities," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday.