China and Mexico have refuted recent tariff threats made by former U.S. President Donald Trump regarding fentanyl and drug trafficking, emphasizing that cooperation and mutual understanding are the keys to addressing the issue.
Trump announced plans to impose a 25 percent tariff on all goods entering the United States from Mexico and Canada, stating that the tariffs would remain until the two countries “solve” the issue of illegal migrants and drugs crossing their borders into the U.S. He also declared an additional 10 percent tariff on products from China, alleging failure to curb the number of drugs entering the country.
Responding to these statements, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., affirmed that China has taken significant steps to combat drug trafficking following an agreement reached last year between leaders of both countries.
“The Chinese side has notified the U.S. side of the progress made in U.S.-related law enforcement operations against narcotics,” Liu remarked. “These efforts demonstrate that the notion of China knowingly allowing fentanyl precursors to flow into the United States is completely contrary to the facts.”
A spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry also urged the U.S. to appreciate China’s goodwill and safeguard the positive progress made in China-U.S. cooperation on drug control. “China is one of the world’s toughest countries on counter-narcotics, both in terms of policy and implementation,” the spokesperson noted. “As early as 2019, China officially scheduled all fentanyl-related substances, becoming the first country in the world to do so.”
The spokesperson added that China is ready to continue counter-narcotics cooperation with the U.S. on the basis of equality, mutual benefit, and mutual respect.
In Mexico, officials echoed similar sentiments. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador read out a letter he intended to send to Trump during a morning news conference.
“Neither threats nor tariffs will solve the migration phenomenon or drug consumption in the U.S.,” López Obrador stated. “What is required instead is cooperation and mutual understanding.”
The Mexican leader warned that should Trump proceed with the tariffs, Mexico would retaliate by imposing its own taxes on U.S. imports, potentially jeopardizing shared economic interests. “Such actions could put common enterprises at risk,” he cautioned.
Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and an expert on global drug policy, commented on the situation, telling The New York Times that imposing tariffs is unlikely to address the flow of fentanyl.
“An imposition of tariffs is not going to do anything regarding the flow of fentanyl,” Felbab-Brown explained. “In fact, it might undermine the counter-narcotics cooperation that the U.S. and China have been developing, which came after a period of limited collaboration.”
She added that constructive engagement and collaboration are more effective strategies in tackling such complex international issues.
(With input from agencies)
Reference(s):
China, Mexico refute Trump's fentanyl-related tariff threats
cgtn.com
