Wo Weihan, a 59-year-old medical scientist, was executed on Friday morning, his daughter Ran Chen, an Austrian citizen married to an American, said.

'I found out through the Austrian embassy,' a distressed Ms Chen said by telephone.

The United States confirmed the execution had taken place and issued a strongly-worded condemnation.

'We are deeply disturbed and dismayed by reports that the Chinese government has carried out the death penalty against Wo Weihan,' US embassy spokesman Susan Stevenson told AFP.

Wo, a Chinese citizen who previously lived in Austria, was detained in early 2005.

He was accused of leaking state secrets and Ms Chen said one charge listed in court documents said he might have talked about senior leaders' health - an act punishable by death in China.

The case drew worldwide attention, with Austrian President Heinz Fischer and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appealing directly to Beijing to spare him.

Despite this, China said on Thursday it would not give Wo special treatment.

'Wo Weihan is a Chinese citizen who broke Chinese law,' foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters.

'We can't give privileges to him because he has foreign relatives.'

Ms Chen saw her father for the first time in four years, and for the last time, on Thursday morning.

The United States said on Friday Wo's arrest and trial had fallen short of international standards for due process.

'Reportedly Mr Wo did not have access to legal counsel until after the prosecuting officials completed their investigation,' Mr Stevenson said.

'His confession was coerced and the charges against him were questionable.' -- AFP