REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, GUANGZHOU -- An Australian man faced a possible death sentence on Thursday on charges of attempting to smuggle millions of dollars worth of drugs out of China.

The trial follows Indonesia's high-profile executions last week of two convicted Australian drug smugglers, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, alongside six others from several countries, despite international criticism of its use of the death penalty.

Chinese authorities arrested New Zealand-born Peter Gardner, 26, at the international airport in the southern city of Guangzhou last November, carrying bags of nearly 30 kg (66 lb) of methamphetamine, known as "ice".

Customs officials put the market value of the drugs at several million dollars.