China defends fentanyl controls, dismisses US allegations on drug trafficking as ‘lies’

China on Tuesday defended its fentanyl controls in a white paper, after the Trump administration doubled its tariffs on Chinese goods over claims that Beijing was not doing enough to combat trafficking in the drug, in the latest escalation of the US-China trade war.

The white paper was issued the same day as the new 20 per cent tariffs took effect – up from the 10 per cent imposed last month under executive orders signed by US President Donald Trump soon after he took office in January.

Within hours, China had announced another round of retaliatory tariffs, including 10 to 15 per cent on US agricultural goods and sanctions on additional US entities.

Washington says its tariffs are designed to compel China to enforce stricter controls on fentanyl, a dangerous opioid, to stop it from entering the US.

The Chinese foreign ministry dismissed the US allegations as “lies”. “The United States is determined to use the fentanyl issue as an excuse to once again impose tariffs on Chinese products exported to the US,” ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Tuesday, adding that counter-tariffs were “completely legitimate and necessary”.

“The United States has spread all kinds of lies on the issue of fentanyl, smearing China to shift the blame … which is unreasonable and detrimental to themselves as much as to us,” he said.

  

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