On Tuesday, December 17th, lawmakers from both parties in the United States introduced three bills aimed at combating the role of China (CCP) in the fentanyl crisis in the United States. One of the measures is to establish a special task force in the United States to combat drug trafficking and pave the way for sanctions against Chinese (CCP) entities.
US authorities stated that China is a major source for providing precursors of fentanyl to Mexican drug traffickers, and Chinese money launderers have become major players in international drug trade.
The House of Representatives’ Special Committee on China stated that proposed legislation would help hold the CCP accountable because “its national subsidies for (fentanyl) precursors directly exacerbate the fentanyl crisis.”
A bill named the “CCP Fentanyl Sanctions Act” was introduced by Democratic Congressman Jake Auchincloss, which would authorize the United States to sever connections between Chinese companies and the US banking system, including vessels, ports, and online markets that “intentionally or recklessly” facilitate the transportation of illicit synthetic drugs.
In introducing the legislation, he stated, “This is a state-supported poisoning of the American people.” “It all originates entirely from mainland China.”
The committee said that the other two bills would establish a special task force composed of US agencies to take joint action to disrupt drug trafficking networks and allow for civil penalties against Chinese entities that fail to correctly declare or follow formal entry channels when shipping precursors to the United States.
In circles closely associated with President-elect Trump in the Republican party, more and more people believe that the CCP government is using, even designing, synthetic opioid drugs to harm Americans. However, Beijing denies this.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington has not immediately responded to requests for comments on the bills.
Due to the limited time remaining in this congressional term, these bills may need to be reintroduced after the new Congress is sworn in on January 3rd next year.
This month, Democratic leader of the House of Representatives’ Special Committee on China, Raja Krishnamoorthi, wrote in an article that now is the time to take a tough stance on Beijing regarding the fentanyl issue.