China, US join hands to fight fentanyl

Groundless accusations

Some US media outlets have reported that a number of fentanyl-related substances have been smuggled to the US from China through online ordering and "underground channels", resulting in many deaths from drug abuse.

Liu said, "The accusations made by US media are groundless and lack supporting evidence."

But he said some individual cases had been discovered of Chinese drug dealers colluding with US accomplices to traffic fentanyl-related substances to the US.

There is a serious problem in the US of some traditional drugs being abused, Liu said.

According to the China National Narcotics Control Commission, 80 percent of opioids worldwide are consumed in the US.

In addition, some major pharmaceutical industries in the US sponsor experts to conduct research into drugs and make "subjective conclusions", claiming the opioids are not harmful, according to the commission. Doctors then prescribe the opioids to patients.

Moreover, Liu said there are loopholes in drug supervision by the US authorities.

Wang Xuehai, chairman of HuanmanWell Healthcare Group in Wuhan, Hubei province, said that in 2017, the company, a leading producer of fentanyl, sold products related to it, earning revenue of 2 billion yuan ($298 million). This included 5 million yuan from exports.

The company's major export destinations for fentanyl include Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Turkey. It has not exported any to the US, Wang said.

"To export anesthesia products, including fentanyl, we must get approval from national drug authorities both in China and the destination countries, and all exports are under their supervision," he said.

"Our clients overseas are either authorized drug-bidding and purchasing institutes or certified companies."

Wang said there are five major fentanyl producers in China, including his company, and none of them are connected with smuggling the drug to the US.

"All fentanyl, active pharmaceutical ingredients and preparations that flowed to the US from China were produced underground illegally and smuggled," he said.

Liu, from the CNNCC, said: "Manufacturing and abusing fentanyl substances is a global issue. It's difficult to depend on just one country (to combat this) and it requires joint efforts from all nations."

Law enforcement officers from China and the US will improve communication and promptly share information about drugs, Liu said. They will quickly exchange clues regarding cases and information and work closely on some individual and major cases of fentanyl trafficking.

Both countries will strengthen case investigation and conduct joint actions to thwart transnational drug smuggling rings, sever their "chains of interest" and arrest key drug lords responsible for crimes, he said.