The client of Tauranga lawyer Craig Tuck will find out today if he will be sentenced to death for allegedly smuggling drugs.

Peter Gardner, a young New Zealander and Australian citizen, was detained in China on suspicion of drug smuggling on November 8 last year.

Tauranga's Craig Tuck is defending a dual Australian and New Zealand citizen accused of smuggling methamphetamine in China.

His trial is set to begin today.

Gardner, 25, could face execution for allegedly attempting to export 30kg of methamphetamine.

The dual Australia and New Zealand citizen was with Australian woman Kalynda Davis, who he had met through an online dating site, when the pair were detained by officials in Guangzhou after a three-day visit.

Davis was released after four weeks of negotiations and her lawyers argued she had no knowledge of the alleged drugs.

Chinese law states that smuggling more than 50 grams of methamphetamine is punishable by 15 years in prison, life imprisonment or the death penalty.

Craig expects the trial to last no more than three days.