Pressure is mounting on China as many believe it is failing to do enough to stop the flood of fentanyl into the United States – contributing to the opioid epidemic which claimed more than 27,000 American lives in 2017 alone.
In late October, US President Donald Trump signed into law new legislation to address the problem and the US Department of Justice hosted its first “National Opioid Summit” on October 25, with US Attorney General Jeff Sessions delivering the keynote address.
Trump also moved to eliminate a loophole that has previously enabled Chinese drug dealers and distributors to mail their drugs into the US without giving details on either the sender or the contents of the package. This did not apply to packages handled by FedEx, UPS and other private carriers as they must provide such information in advance to customs inspectors.
Prior to the summit, US Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that “this is a real crisis. The Chinese government has the ability to stop this if they want to. We believe they should want to do that.”
Chinese drug labs
A growing number of US politicians agree that it is now time to take the necessary steps to ensure the arrest and punishment of people working in Chinese drug labs and operating huge distribution channels that lead to the deaths of thousands of Americans.
As well as the steps being taken by the Trump administration to address the problem, New Jersey Congressman Jeff Smith (R), who chairs the Global Health Subcommittee, has introduced legislation aimed directly at China. Smith is making it clear that further Congressional action is urgently needed to get Beijing to exercise more control over its huge underground industry.
It is unusual that a Republican has co-sponsored legislation with avid support from Democrats, given the partisan divide that has gripped Washington in the recent past. And it is the latest overt sign that the US Congress is growing increasingly frustrated and agitated, not only by China’s apparent failure to address the problem in a meaningful and effective way, but it shows that Congress is disappointed and unwilling to simply stand by as the Trump administration treats China softly over this huge nationwide problem.
More and more members of Congress are convinced that the US needs to confront Beijing over this matter. Smith is by no means the lone voice on Capitol Hill attempting “to hold both government officials in China and Chinese private citizens accountable.”
“Synthetic fentanyl produced in China and exported to the US is ravaging our communities,” Smith said in a statement issued on October 26. “Although China would like to shirk responsibility and call this a purely a demand-driven phenomenon, the fact is Beijing is not doing enough to stop the supply.
Call for joint effort
“The recent proliferation of synthetic opioids like fentanyl has driven a sharp increase in overdose deaths, impacting Americans of all walks of life. In New Jersey, we have the highest opioid overdose death rate among all states for individuals 35 or younger. And fentanyl produced in China is helping drive the epidemic.”
This legislation calls for the creation of “a joint effort by the Secretaries of State and of the Treasury to identify each person and government official in China involved in fentanyl production and trafficking into the US. Once identified, those persons can be sanctioned by the US under such policies as the Global Magnitsky Act.”
Smith is a strong supporter of the Act and how it has given the US a new vehicle for cracking down on human rights violations across the globe.
“Are we using existing tools to hold bad actors in China accountable? We have tools, such as the (Act), which targets corrupt officials and human rights abusers. Perhaps it is time we start thinking outside the box and use something like Global Magnitsky to ensure that corrupt Chinese officials and narco-traffickers are held to account,” Smith said on September 6 when he chaired a hearing before his subcommittee entitled “Tackling Fentanyl: The China Connection.”
Momentum has been building steadily since the hearing, which heard from the US State Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, the RAND Corp think tank and a prosecutor, among others. Witnesses said that while China may be showing signs of cooperating with the US by cracking down on domestic fentanyl production, recent US Justice Department indictments involving Chinese citizens from places such as Wuhan and Shanghai are ample evidence that China is not doing enough to solve the problem.
“China is one of the world’s top producers of the precursor chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine and fentanyl, as well as the chemicals used to process heroin and cocaine,” Paul Knierim, the Deputy Chief of Operations at the Office of Global Enforcement for the DEA, told the hearing.
Bryce Pardo, an analyst from the Rand Corp think tank, told the hearing that Chinese regulations were deficient and “a lack of oversight and government and corporate accountability” had triggered “a large increase in the number of unlicensed or semi-legitimate chemical manufacturers or distributors” as well as an increase in “opportunities for corruption.”
In his opening remarks to the National Opioid Summit, US Attorney General Sessions stated that he agreed that China is not doing enough and that it needs to do more.
‘China must do more’
Some suggest that China may be showing signs that it is delaying discussions over the scale and scope of its anti-fentanyl campaign due to the escalating trade war with the US.
“Whereas China has gone to war with other drugs that have a demand in China – such as methamphetamine – it has conspicuously failed to launch a similar crackdown on fentanyl, which has no demand in China,” Smith said.
“I applaud the efforts of our law enforcement agencies to counter the spread of fentanyl, but China must do more. This bill will hold China accountable for its bad behavior and sanction those responsible for this global health crisis.
“In order to effectively combat this epidemic, we need Congress and the administration working together to hold accountable those who promote and profit off of drug addiction. With this bill, we will do just that.”
One expects America to be many things in the face of a waning economy, but being a crybaby isn’t one of them. That’s the most surprising thing about the American reaction to China’s growing clout. Forced tech transfer? Really? Most countries demand some sort of partnership if you want to start a plant or access their market. You can always say no and walk away. Fentanyl? Is anyone holding a gun to any American’s head and saying these drugs must be sold here? Spying? Pray tell what the NSA & Five Eyes are doing. Gird up, America. Show some grit for god’s sake. And some common sense.
One expects America to be many things in the face of a waning economy, but being a crybaby isn’t one of them. That’s the most surprising thing about the American reaction to China’s growing clout. Forced tech transfer? Really? Most countries demand some sort of partnership if you want to start a plant or access their market. You can always say no and walk away. Fentanyl? Is anyone holding a gun to any American’s head and saying these drugs must be sold here? Spying? Pray tell what the NSA & Five Eyes are doing. Gird up, America. Show some grit for god’s sake. And some common sense.
Currently some inhabitants of the US of A abuse Fentanyl. (Apparently they also abuse other things so we may extrapolate how this plays out from past experience with the war on drugs and political expedience etc…)
This is illegal in USA.
These people source their fentanyl from China currently, and will source it from wherever thay can get it cheapest if that source slows down.
These are the fundamental issues.
US of A seems to have a problem with law-breaking Americans that it cannot control. Controlling the rest of the world will be a difficult feat also, I expect.
Currently some inhabitants of the US of A abuse Fentanyl. (Apparently they also abuse other things so we may extrapolate how this plays out from past experience with the war on drugs and political expedience etc…)
This is illegal in USA.
These people source their fentanyl from China currently, and will source it from wherever thay can get it cheapest if that source slows down.
These are the fundamental issues.
US of A seems to have a problem with law-breaking Americans that it cannot control. Controlling the rest of the world will be a difficult feat also, I expect.
Typical of the Evil Empire to blame another country for its own materialistic hedonistic excesses. US gun manufacturers can crank out death machines like confetti at a Super Bowl parade but woe unto any Chinese entrepeneur trying to give Americans what they want in order to cope with their country’s crimes and sins. And of the two, guns and fentanyl, which do you think is responsible for killing more ‘mericans? To paraphrase the NRA zombie slogan, "Fentanyl doesn’t kill people, the NRA does."
Typical of the Evil Empire to blame another country for its own materialistic hedonistic excesses. US gun manufacturers can crank out death machines like confetti at a Super Bowl parade but woe unto any Chinese entrepeneur trying to give Americans what they want in order to cope with their country’s crimes and sins. And of the two, guns and fentanyl, which do you think is responsible for killing more ‘mericans? To paraphrase the NRA zombie slogan, "Fentanyl doesn’t kill people, the NRA does."
Look at South America riddled with unemployment,crime and corruption, lacking infrastructures to induce investment from within or without, thus leading to law abiding citizens leaving for USA. If USA, EU or China helps with infrastructure development in S America which would help with the local economy and investment, the likelihood of a peaceful world would exist. I believe China is taking care of its current surrounding neighborhood, raising their standard of living so that there is co-existing peace . If Charles Bilyeu believes otherwise, as is the mentality of former white colonialists in Africa, Asia and S. America then we will forever see exploitation of the native poor and unemployed. China or any bankers would not force any borrowers if they cannot afford the loans. It is always done on a win-win basis.
Look at South America riddled with unemployment,crime and corruption, lacking infrastructures to induce investment from within or without, thus leading to law abiding citizens leaving for USA. If USA, EU or China helps with infrastructure development in S America which would help with the local economy and investment, the likelihood of a peaceful world would exist. I believe China is taking care of its current surrounding neighborhood, raising their standard of living so that there is co-existing peace . If Charles Bilyeu believes otherwise, as is the mentality of former white colonialists in Africa, Asia and S. America then we will forever see exploitation of the native poor and unemployed. China or any bankers would not force any borrowers if they cannot afford the loans. It is always done on a win-win basis.
Richard Truong you are correct about drugs sold in China. However, the Chinese government will do nothing to a Chinese citizen, who breaks the laws of the USA.
This is only a distraction for the world to perceive the USA as a drug culture.
Richard Truong you are correct about drugs sold in China. However, the Chinese government will do nothing to a Chinese citizen, who breaks the laws of the USA.
This is only a distraction for the world to perceive the USA as a drug culture.
The real problem is fundamental, its China’s laws. It’s not illegal in China for a Chinese citizen to lie cheat and steal to another country. However, it is against Chinese law for a Chinese citizen to lie cheat and steal to China. This is the status quo for China’s business Behavior to the rest of the world. Lying is an acceptable form of business in China, even the penalties are factored in. It’s all smoke and mirrors, as China’s Communist Party promotes this Behavior. The Chinese belt and road initiative is their main objective and is littered with malicious intent. The Chinese government promotes lying, the Chinese people however, are hardworking and decent people, all 1.4 billion of them. My question is why do they need 10,300,000 soldiers, reserves included. That’s approximately 9,700 miles of troops. Why so many? To put this in perspective there is 6,786 miles around the circumference of the Moon. Washington is just cleaning up the mess of the past, and the left knows this is true. The Chinese government is full of sinister intention, as they plot and scheme to control Eurasia. They sell a line of hope for neighboring countries by lending them money to over build infrastructure with own contractors. Their nebulous loans are only a formula for failure as they control the supply lines of goods, while building a connection of high speed trains throughout Eurasia to deliver those goods,
There by, influencing the policies of their neighbors to become the worlds largest economy.
The real problem is fundamental, its China’s laws. It’s not illegal in China for a Chinese citizen to lie cheat and steal to another country. However, it is against Chinese law for a Chinese citizen to lie cheat and steal to China. This is the status quo for China’s business Behavior to the rest of the world. Lying is an acceptable form of business in China, even the penalties are factored in. It’s all smoke and mirrors, as China’s Communist Party promotes this Behavior. The Chinese belt and road initiative is their main objective and is littered with malicious intent. The Chinese government promotes lying, the Chinese people however, are hardworking and decent people, all 1.4 billion of them. My question is why do they need 10,300,000 soldiers, reserves included. That’s approximately 9,700 miles of troops. Why so many? To put this in perspective there is 6,786 miles around the circumference of the Moon. Washington is just cleaning up the mess of the past, and the left knows this is true. The Chinese government is full of sinister intention, as they plot and scheme to control Eurasia. They sell a line of hope for neighboring countries by lending them money to over build infrastructure with own contractors. Their nebulous loans are only a formula for failure as they control the supply lines of goods, while building a connection of high speed trains throughout Eurasia to deliver those goods,
There by, influencing the policies of their neighbors to become the worlds largest economy.
This is basic Supply and Demand. The issue is not with China, but with skyrocketing heroine/painkiller addiction in the US.
The crux isn’t reducing supply, the onus is on the US to decrease the number of addicts. That hasn’t happened yet, and with the healthcare debate still raging, there is no solution ahead. Blaming this on China is 100% deflection.
This is basic Supply and Demand. The issue is not with China, but with skyrocketing heroine/painkiller addiction in the US.
The crux isn’t reducing supply, the onus is on the US to decrease the number of addicts. That hasn’t happened yet, and with the healthcare debate still raging, there is no solution ahead. Blaming this on China is 100% deflection.
China’s government is not behind it. (Drug related crime is death penalty in China.) The lucrative market is the driving force.
The blaming tone of the US is not leading to cooperation.
China’s government is not behind it. (Drug related crime is death penalty in China.) The lucrative market is the driving force.
The blaming tone of the US is not leading to cooperation.
Aaahahahaaa…….China’s revenge for the opium war…….lol
Aaahahahaaa…….China’s revenge for the opium war…….lol