Whenever the US administration raises concerns over China’s exports to the United States of some chemicals that can be used to make fentanyl, the Chinese people are at a loss to understand why their government is being held accountable for the US’ domestic drug problem.
Fentanyl was synthesized in the 1960s. It was rapidly promoted and applied as a clinical anesthetic and pain treatment. In the 1990s, some US pharmaceutical companies invested a lot of money to fund experts and institutions, peddling the “theory that opioids are harmless”, encouraging doctors to prescribe them and pharmacies to promote them.
This practice led to the formation of the “pain treatment culture” in the US, with people becoming accustomed to treating the symptoms of a disease with painkillers. As a result, the prescription of opioids increased sharply, and the number of opioid deaths rose rapidly.
Over the past decade, drugmakers have spent nearly $2.5 billion lobbying and funding members of the US Congress. About 90 percent of the US House of Representatives and 97 of all 100 US senators have received campaign contributions from pharmaceutical companies, which seek to influence legislation on everything from the cost of drugs to how new drugs are approved.
In addition, in the US medical system, medical representatives play an important role in encouraging doctors to prescribe drugs through “funding”, resulting in many people getting addicted to drugs. With less than 5 percent of the world’s population, the US consumes 80 percent of the world’s opioids, such as fentanyl.
China has been an active participant in international counter-narcotic cooperation. At home, the government implements strict policies and laws on drugs, and has effectively prevented drug abuse from becoming a threat to public health as it is in the US.
Reportedly, China is imposing restrictions on exports of some precursor chemicals next month, which Washington has hailed as being a “valuable step forward”.
The chemicals China exports to the US are legal raw materials for the production of many chemicals and related products. It is based on humanitarian considerations that China is taking the move to help the US side to deal with the fentanyl issue. The US side should take the matter seriously and effectively address China’s concerns in return, and create a good atmosphere for mutual efforts to repair bilateral ties.