According to the researchers, Beijing offers these economic incentives on the manufacturing of materials and chemical precursors used by drug traffickers to produce fentanyl, as long as the companies sell them outside their borders.
A special committee of the United States House of Representatives presented a report on Tuesday exposing that China subsidizes the production of fentanyl abroad, which ultimately fuels the crisis of this drug within the American country.
The conclusions were presented during a hearing evaluating the role of the Asian giant in the epidemic of this substance, which currently leads the ranking of overdose deaths.
According to the researchers, Beijing offers these economic incentives on the manufacturing of materials and chemical precursors used by drug traffickers in the production of this substance and others, as long as the companies sell them outside their borders.
Additionally, Xi Jinping’s regime assists manufacturers in evading investigations by US authorities by notifying them when formal requests have been made.
Furthermore, committee members asserted that several targets not only have managed to escape punishment but have also reinvented themselves to make their activities even harder to detect.
On the other hand, Raja Krishnamoorthi, the committee’s lead Democrat, added that there are Chinese companies selling these synthetic opioids on their websites and supported his statement with screenshots taken by his colleagues the night before the meeting.
“There are hundreds of these ads on the internet, this is completely unacceptable,” he pointed out.
Presenting these conclusions, Committee Chairman Republican Mike Gallagher stated, “Through its actions, the Chinese Communist Party is telling us it wants more fentanyl to come into our country… it wants the chaos and devastation the epidemic has caused.”
Former Attorney General William Barr maintained that the report “uncovered compelling evidence” that Beijing is “knee-deep” in sponsoring and facilitating the export of fentanyl precursors, debunking the cooperation narrative it upholds. “I don’t think we can count on their goodwill, as we have in the past,” he added.
The findings of the investigation emerged just months after the United States and China renewed their commitment to fighting this epidemic. In November, President Joe Biden and his counterpart Xi Jinping announced the resumption of bilateral cooperation in combating drug trafficking, focusing on reducing the flow of chemical precursors and synthetic drug trafficking.
While initially appearing to be a significant step, nearly five months later, significant questions arise about Beijing’s real compliance with its promises, as this constitutes a “parallel business” that allows for maximizing profits.
Therefore, Barr, at the end of his presentation, recommended that US authorities use their commercial and economic power to further pressure the Asian country and demand real compliance with the laws. Simultaneously, he urged civilians to take action and report the companies and individuals involved in these illicit acts.
Meanwhile, the report itself concludes by urging Congress to empower the President to sanction the actors involved in this chain and impose financial penalties on offenders, along with regular updates on the implementation of such actions.
Additionally, it calls for the establishment of a task force with economic, intelligence, and law enforcement resources, reporting to the Attorney General of the country and acting as Biden’s special advisor on the National Security Council, with authority over the opioid portfolio.
At present, the Chinese Embassy in Washington has not issued any statements on the matter.
