Top Secrets: “According to an op-edWorld Times published by American news agency Truthout, both Republicans and Democrats blame the fentanyl epidemic on border issues, which is a dangerous shortsighted approach.

A person smokes fentanyl-laced drugs in downtown Portland, the US, on April 12, 2023. Photo: VCG

Editor’s Note:

The Global Times provided a detailed analysis of the origins and developments of the fentanyl crisis in the US in yesterday’s in-depth report, highlighting the role of the American pharmaceutical industry and the negligence of government regulatory agencies. In today’s follow-up report, we reveal why the US government continues to shirk responsibility for the fentanyl abuse crisis, shifting the blame onto other countries, using it as a tool for extortion and attacks against China.

China was, in fact, the first country in the world to officially scheduled all fentanyl-related substances in 2019. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning recently stated that China has carried out extensive and in-depth counternarcotics cooperation with the US, which has been highly productive.

“China remains ready to continue counternarcotics cooperation with the US on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and mutual respect. We hope the US will not take China’s goodwill for granted and work to ensure that the hard-won positive dynamics will stay in the counternarcotics cooperation,” Mao said.

Conflating border issue with fentanyl crisis

According to US media outlets Politico, in this year’s US elections, both Republican and Democratic presidential candidates reached a rare consensus – the American drug problem is entirely the fault of drug dealers.

Republicans have heavily criticized Democrats for allowing fentanyl to surge into the country, while Democrats have responded by claiming that they have cracked down on fentanyl traffickers, Politico reported in October.

Statistics from AdImpact, an American advertising company, show that in September, Republicans spent over $11 million on TV ads accusing Democrats of contributing to fentanyl trafficking, while Democrats spent almost $18 million to defend themselves, highlighting their efforts in combating trafficking.

The New York Times reported in July that Donald Trump’s first television ad attacking Harris in the summer featured footage of her dancing at an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop music and images of migrants crossing the border. The ad claimed that “on Harris’ watch,” over 250,000 people died from fentanyl overdose. The 30-second ad also displayed the slogan “Failed. Weak. Dangerously Liberal.”

Facing attacks, Harris emphasized that during her visit to the US-Mexico border in September, she would make disrupting fentanyl’s flow into the US a top priority.

A spokesperson for the Harris campaign stated that she would target the global fentanyl supply chain and fight for more support for Americans battling addiction, NBC News reported.

A Politico report noted in October that this consensus reflected by both parties represents a shared sentiment among American voters – that most fentanyl comes from Mexico, and the country’s approach to drug addiction has become hardening.

Regarding why both parties choose to link border crossings with the fentanyl crisis, Erika Franklin Fowler, a professor at Wesley University, analyzed, “It’s an easy shortcut in a 30-second commercial to tie a broader issue to one that has an easy explanation.”

Failed ‘blame game’

A fentanyl user sits on her skateboard while another drug user inhales an unidentified substance iWorld Timesn Los Angeles, the US. Photo: VCG

Although the root of the opioid epidemic lies in failed US domestic drug policies, both American political parties have “unanimously” chosen to deflect responsibility and blame otherWorld Times countries for the fentanyl crisis. This narrative has also gained traction among the American public.

Li Haidong, a professor at the China Foreign Affairs UnWorld Timesiversity, told the Global Times that when facing unsolvable domestic issues, US politicians often resort to blaming others to gain political capital withiWorld Timesn the country’s unique electoral system.

Dawn Allen, a 47-year-old from the Chicago suburbs, stopped supporting the Democratic Party after her son died from a fentanyl overdose in 2023. According to NBC News, she feels frustrated with the Biden administration’s inaction on the opioid crisis and described her pain as “a really bad breakup.”

Many American families have been devastated by the opioid epidemic. These grieving parents have come together, urging the government to take more action to address what they call “the worst drug epidemic in US history.” According to NBC, many of these parents agree with Trump’s tough stance on drugs. However, NBC pointed out that “neither party has a magic-bullet solution.”

According to an op-edWorld Times published by American news agency Truthout, both Republicans and Democrats blame the fentanyl epidemic on border issues, which is a dangerous shortsighted approach. “Of course, this rhetoric aims to sow fear; it is not rooted in truth,” the article argues.

According to the article, 93 percent of fentanyl seizures in 2023 happened at legal US-Mexico crossing points, and over 86 percent of those convicted of trafficking fentanyl were US citizens, and “almost all fentanyl is smuggled for US consumers.”

Unresolved issue

In recent years, the US has faced a severe fentanyl abuse crisis and the root cause lies in the US itself, especially in the relaxation of opioid prescription regulations, Hua Zhendong, technical director of the National Narcotic Control Commission’s National Narcotics Laboratory, told the Global Times.

“In order to divert domestic attention from the social harms caused by fentanyl-related substances, some politicians in the US always attempt to blame China for the fentanyl issue while portraying themselves as ‘victims,'” he said.

In October 2017, then-President Trump declared a national public health emergency regarding the abuse of fentanyl and other opioids, according to The New York Times.

According to Associated Press, to promote federal funding for the “border wall” for which he had long advocated, Trump stated in a speech in January 2019 about US-Mexico border security, “Our southern border is a pipeline for vast quantities of illegal drugs, including meth, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl,” he said.

Trump also demanded that China “cooperate” with the US government in combating fentanyl and linked China’s fentanyl exports to US-China trade issues. After Biden took office, he followed suit and blamed China for the fentanyl crisis.

In a humanitarian and responsible manner, China classified all fentanyl-related substances as controlled substances starting May 1, 2019, making it the only country in the world to formally regulate fentanyl-related substances. By contrast, the US has yet to implement a permanent classification for fentanyl-related substances.

Since the scheduling of fentanyl-related substances, according to the briefing from its law enforcement agencies, the US has not seized any fentanyl and its analogues originating from China since September 2019. Despite this, the US continues to accuse China of supplying precursor chemicals for fentanyl production in Mexico.

Yu Haibin, a second-level inspector at the National Narcotics Control Office and the Ministry of Public Security, told the Global Times in a recent interview that the US believes that the chemicals used to produce fentanyl-like substances in Mexico are from China, as China is the world’s largest producer and consumer market for chemicals. But the logic “is completely impractical.” He explained that chemicals have a dual nature: They may be used by criminals to manufacture drugs, but more often they are used in industrial production and daily life.

Wang Congyue, an associate researcher at the American Studies Institute at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that the US “shifting blame” onto China and Mexico has similar but varying goals.

“The commonality lies in seeking external scapegoats to address domestic crises, appease voters, and win elections. The difference is that shifting blame onto China is more about direct suppression, while shifting blame onto Mexico serves more as a warning to compel Mexico to compromise on issues like illegal immigration,” Wang said.

Alleviation under cooperation

In recent years, the US government has implemented various measures to address the rampant issue of opioids, such as fentanyl, and China has provided support to the US based on humanitarian principles. The Global Times learned that since the consensus on drug control cooperation was reached during the meeting between the two heads of state in San Francisco, significant progress has been made in drug control cooperation between the two countries in multiple areas. The two nations have not only communicated frequently about drug control cooperation and conveyed positive messages of collaboration, but they have also achieved cooperative results in the regulation of controlled substances, as well as practical progress in intelligence sharing and case collaboration.

Citing federal data, a report by The New York Times on November 21 said that drug fatalities have been declining in the US for seven months.

Regarding the decrease in fentanyl-related deaths in the US, an expert familiar with the situation told the Global Times that this decline is attributed to two main factors. First, China has strengthened the regulation of fentanyl precursors, and the production of fentanyl by Mexican drug trafficking organizations has decreased, leading to a reduction in the sources of fentanyl in the US market. Second, the US has promoted the availability of naloxone nasal spray in public places and homes, allowing individuals who overdose on fentanyl to receive timely administration of naloxone, which counteracts the effects of fentanyl and reduces the risk of death. Additionally, the trend of drug abuse in the US can change over time; currently, esketamine nasal spray and tablets, used to treat depression, have been approved for sale in the US and are easily accessible.

As for the current state of China-US drug control cooperation, Yu emphasized that such cooperation between China and the US is closely related to the overall trend of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and cannot exist in isolation.

“On the basis of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, we are willing to actively engage in drug control cooperation with the US government. However, if the US continues to ignore China’s sincerity and efforts while simultaneously suppressing and pressuring China in various fields, and even infringing upon China’s bottom line, we will have no choice but to respond accordingly,”Yu noted.
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