China’s public security ministry has spoken out against the US decision to place a 10 per cent duty on all Chinese imports – along with larger tariffs for Canada and Mexico – warning that it will be detrimental to bilateral cooperation on fentanyl control.
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According to Washington, the tariffs are intended to counter the influx of opioids and other drugs, including fentanyl.
“The root cause of the fentanyl crisis in the US lies in itself. Reducing domestic drug demand and strengthening law enforcement cooperation are the fundamental solutions,” said the ministry in a statement released on Sunday night.
“Simply shifting the blame to other countries will not help to truly solve the problem and will also seriously damage the cooperation and trust between China and the US in the field of drug control.”
The statement pointed to the two countries’ “extensive practical cooperation” on drug control and the “tangible progress” of recent years, including in exchanges of intelligence and drug detection technology.
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The statement also highlighted the listing of controlled substances, case cooperation and the clean-up of online advertising as areas that had benefited from the joint efforts. “The results are obvious to all,” the ministry said.