U.S. Howls As China Ends Joint Effort To End Fentanyl Smuggling

China's move to suspend cooperation with the United States to combat narcotics trafficking, including illicit fentanyl, is "unacceptable," the White House said on Monday, August 8, 2022, as Beijing continued to protest a visit to Taiwan by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Michael Martina reported for Reuters.

Photo Insert: China is the world’s biggest manufacturer of fentanyl as well as crack cocaine (methamphetamine hydrochloride), which has become a monopoly of Chinese drug syndicates.

China announced fresh military drills on Monday around Taiwan - a day after the scheduled end of its largest ever exercises in response to the highest-level US visit to the Chinese-claimed island in 25 years.

In addition to the drills, Beijing last week announced the cancelation or suspension of a series of cooperation channels with Washington, including theater-level military talks, and exchanges on climate change, transnational crime, and counter narcotics.

Rahul Gupta, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), said he was disappointed by the move in light of the ongoing overdose epidemic driven by fentanyl that has claimed more than 100,000 lives in the US in the past year.

China is the world’s biggest manufacturer of fentanyl as well as crack cocaine (methamphetamine hydrochloride), which has become a monopoly of Chinese drug syndicates.

"At a time when illicit fentanyl continues to claim a life every five minutes, it's unacceptable that the PRC (People's Republic of China) is withholding cooperation that would help to bring to justice individuals who traffic these illicit drugs and who engage in this global criminal enterprise," Gupta said in a statement.

The disruption would have global implications, he said.

"China has played and must play a key role in helping disrupt the illicit flow of drugs like fentanyl and their precursor chemicals," Gupta said. Despite China banning fentanyl and similar variants in 2019, it remains a primary source of illicit fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances trafficked into the US.

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