U.S. Raises Pressure on China to Combat Global Fentanyl Crisis

[RUC4]

U.S. Raises Pressure on China to Combat Global Fentanyl Crisis​

NYtimes,com
By: David Pierson, Edward Wong, and Olivia Wang
7 July 2023

Excerpts:

Just four years ago, a joint American and Chinese effort to stem the flow of fentanyl produced in China from reaching the United States appeared set to take off. Beijing had unveiled a sweeping new law banning the synthetic opioid, leading the Trump administration to praise China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, for “a wonderful humanitarian gesture.”

But today, cooperation between the two countries on fentanyl is at an impasse.

In part to try to get other countries to pressure China to do more to curb the outflow of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken led on Friday the first virtual meeting of a global coalition of nations aiming to end the threat of dangerous synthetic drugs.

China was invited to take part and join the initial coalition of 84 or so countries that have agreed to be involved in the effort, but it has not given any indication it plans to participate, said Todd D. Robinson, assistant secretary of state for international narcotics and law enforcement.

 

[RUC4]

TLDR?

China isn't cooperating in the battle against fentanyl trafficking.

Not such a surprise.

 

[Foreigner]

Whatever. China is doing everything it can to destabilize the west. It wants to see western democracy fall.