House Report Finds China Complicit in U.S. Fentanyl Epidemic
Summary from the AllSides News Team
According to a report by the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese government is complicit in the U.S. fetanayl epidemic. The report was released on Tuesday, in advance of a public hearing on the matter.
Key Details: The bipartisan investigation uncovered new details about China's role in the illicit fentanyl trade as U.S. overdoses continue to surge. It found that the People's Republic of China (PRC) has ownership interests in several Chinese companies that are tied to illegal drug trafficking and that the PRC subsidizes the manufacturing and export of fentanyl materials, as long as they are sold outside of China. The report recommends, among other things, the establishment of a joint task force to curb the flow of fentanyl materials from China.
Key Quote: “Many of these substances are illegal under the PRC’s own laws and have no known legal use worldwide,” the report says. “Like its export tax rebates for legitimate goods, the CCP’s subsidizing of illegal drugs incentivizes international synthetic drug sales from the PRC. The CCP has never disclosed this program.” China's embassy in the U.S. said, "It is very clear that there is no fentanyl problem in China, and the fentanyl crisis in the United States is not caused by the Chinese side, and blindly blaming China cannot solve the U.S.' own problem."
For Context: In November, President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to curb the flow of chemical precursors to fentanyl.
How the Media Covered it: Axios (Lean Left bias) noted that the report found no evidence of criminal enforcement actions, despite the discussions with President Xi. The Washington Times (Lean Right bias) noted that the PRC has denied any role in contributing to the U.S. fentanyl crisis.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
Chinese government linked to illicit fentanyl tradeBeijing’s communist government is supporting illicit trade in deadly fentanyl by offering tax rebates and other incentives to manufacturers in China, according to a bipartisan report by the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
An investigation by the committee, based on data gathered from the Chinese government’s internet, revealed extensive links between fentanyl trafficking and the Chinese government which is under tight control by the CCP.
The government “directly subsidizes the manufacturing and export of illicit fentanyl materials and other synthetic narcotics through tax rebates,” the report states.
“Many of these substances are illegal under...
From the Center
US committee finds China is subsidizing American fentanyl crisisChina is directly subsidizing production of illicit fentanyl precursors for sale abroad and fueling the U.S. opioid crisis, a U.S. congressional committee said on Tuesday, releasing findings from an investigation it said unveiled Beijing's incentives for the deadly chemicals.
China continues to provide subsidies in the form of value-added tax rebates to its companies that manufacture fentanyl analogues, precursors and other synthetic narcotics, so long as they sell them outside of China, the House of Representatives' select committee on China said in a report.
"The PRC (People's Republic of China)...
From the Left
China continues to subsidize deadly fentanyl exportsInvestigators for a U.S. House committee released a report on Tuesday detailing what they describe as new evidence the Chinese government is continuing to "directly" subsidize "the manufacturing and export of illicit fentanyl."
According to the report, Chinese officials encourage production of precursor chemicals by giving "monetary grants and awards to companies openly trafficking illicit fentanyl materials."
Specifically, researchers found companies making fentanyl precursors and analogues could apply for state tax rebates and other financial benefits after exporting the product.
Street fentanyl has driven a devastating surge in fatal overdoses,...
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