With 5% of World Population, US Consumes 80% of World's Opioids

The spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Wenbin, rejected the accusations and sanctions issued by the US, under the pretext of alleged participation in the trafficking of fentanyl precursors (opioids), against Chinese citizens and companies.

“US blames China for exporting ‘fentanyl precursors,’ which are in fact only ordinary chemicals sold through normal trade. In international trade, it is the importer’s duty to prevent such chemicals from falling into the hands of illicit drug-makers. By twisting the truth, the US vilifies China’s normal trade of ordinary chemicals, trumps up a charge and slaps sanctions on Chinese companies and nationals. This is a classic case of US bullying and coercion. It is a flagrant defiance of international rule of law,” said China’s foreign minister spokesperson this Monday, April 17, on his regular press conference.

China MFA Spokesman WANG WENBIN: "It must be pointed out that the US blames China for exporting “fentanyl precursors”, which are in fact only ordinary chemicals sold through normal trade. In international trade, it is the importer’s duty to prevent such chemicals from falling… pic.twitter.com/p7KJ33oYcK
— COMBATE |🇵🇷 (@upholdreality) April 17, 2023

“The Chinese government takes a firm stance on counternarcotics,” he added. “Guided by the humanitarian spirit, we have worked with the US to help solve its fentanyl abuse. In May 2019, China became the first country in the world to officially schedule fentanyl-related substances as a class, which played an important role in preventing the illicit manufacturing, trafficking and abuse of the substance. The US, however, in disregard of China’s goodwill, cited the non-existent human rights issue in Xinjiang to wantonly sanction the Institution of Forensic Science of the Ministry of Public Security and the National Narcotics Laboratory of China. Now the US is imposing new sanctions on Chinese companies and individuals and attempting to blame China for its own fentanyl problem.”

“The US itself is the root cause of its drug problems,” he continued. “With 5% of the world’s population, the US consumes 80% of the world’s opioids. Yet the US still has not permanently scheduled fentanyl-related substances as a class,” Wang added. He stated that “instead of working to reduce the demand for drugs at home, strengthen management of prescription drugs, and step up public awareness campaigns about the harm of narcotics, the US has resorted to grossly sanctioning other countries in an attempt to mislead the public and deflect the blame for its inaction.”

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Finally, the spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said that “if the US truly wants to solve its drug problem, it should respect facts, reflect on itself, correct its wrongdoing, and stop shifting the blame. China will continue to do what is necessary to safeguard the lawful rights and interests of Chinese companies and individuals.”

It should be noted that, in 2022, around 100,000 people died in the United States due to overdoses of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid. In the United States, the use of opioids and the deaths that occur as a result has risen to epidemic proportions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in that country.

(RedRadioVE) by Milena Bravo with Orinoco Tribune content and editing

Translation: Orinoco Tribune

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