The opioid crisis continues to ravage the United States, with fentanyl at the forefront as the leading cause of overdose deaths. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), opioid-related fatalities surged to 79,770 in 2022, marking a fourfold increase over the past decade.
Since 2017, the United States has pointed to China as a source of fentanyl entering its borders, attributing tens of thousands of deaths annually to this opioid influx. However, China\u2019s government has maintained a stringent drug control policy, enforcing strict regulations on the production and distribution of fentanyl substances. Notably, in 2019, China became the first country to officially schedule all fentanyl-related substances.
In the realm of combating drug crime, China and the United States have engaged in extensive counternarcotics cooperation, yielding productive outcomes. Over the past year, bilateral efforts have seen positive progress. On January 30, 2024, the two nations launched the Counternarcotics Working Group, collaborating on the scheduling of drug-related substances, joint handling of cases, technology exchanges, multilateral cooperation, and the removal of online advertisements promoting illicit drugs.
The two sides have agreed to strengthen dialogue and communication in drug control based on mutual respect and mutually beneficial cooperation. This collaboration aims to promote in-depth development of China-U.S. counternarcotics efforts and jointly address global drug challenges.
A Chinese delegation engaged with several U.S. authorities, including the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Department of Justice, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Discussions with frontline investigators at the DEA\u2019s San Francisco office focused on key cases and strategies.
Despite these cooperative strides, tensions have emerged. In late November, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened additional tariffs on Chinese imports due to the escalating fentanyl crisis in the United States. Responding to this, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasized China\u2019s commitment to ongoing cooperation. “China remains ready to continue counternarcotics cooperation with the United States on the basis of equality, mutual benefit, and mutual respect. We hope the United States will not take China\u2019s goodwill for granted,” the spokesperson stated.
In June 2023, the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. released a fact sheet titled
Reference(s):
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