BEIJING >> An American man has been sentenced to death in China for fatally stabbing a 21-year-old woman who tried to break off their relationship.

Shadeed Abdulmateen was sentenced Thursday after a trial in the Intermediate People’s Court of Ningbo, a city in China’s eastern coastal province of Zhejiang, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Abdulmateen met the victim, identified only by her surname, Chen, in 2019 and entered into a romantic relationship with her. When she attempted to break off relations, Abdulmateen arranged to meet her at a bus stop in Ningbo, then stabbed her to death on the night of June 14, 2021 with a folding knife he had brought with the intention of killing her, Xinhua said.

The trial was attended by more than 20 people, including government officials and members of the public. Xinhua said the court ruled that the facts surrounding Chen’s murder were “especially heinous and resulted in serious consequences.”

It said Abdulmateen had been provided with a defense, translation services and consular visits, but gave no details on his hometown or how he came to reside in China.

A U.S. Embassy spokesperson said the Embassy was aware of the sentence and monitoring the situation, but for privacy reasons, could not offer further comment.

China is believed to lead the world in executions, but exact figures are considered a state secret.