China says US tip led to suspect in 'prime example' of cooperation amid fentanyl crisis

In what they called a "prime example" of bilateral anti-narcotics cooperation, Chinese authorities have detained a suspect on drugs and money laundering charges using a tip-off from the United States.

News of the detention came as Beijing reiterated its "utmost" support for the Washington to solve the fentanyl crisis - one that it said was not "caused by China".

Investigations are under way after Chinese police "following a US clue" detained a suspect surnamed Tong for taking part in "illegal foreign exchange transactions", according to a report from state news agency Xinhua on Wednesday.

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Tong allegedly opened a car showroom in the US in 2017 and offered currency exchange services to his customers. The operation later "evolved into criminal activities" that included the illegal trade of foreign exchange, Xinhua quoted China's Ministry of Public Security as saying.

The ministry, which oversees all the country's law enforcement officers, called the case a "prime example of recent China-US anti-drug cooperation".

The news came days after Chinese ambassador to Washington Xie Feng held talks with Rahul Gupta, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, on Friday.

The two sides discussed promoting counternarcotics cooperation on the basis of "mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit", according to a statement from the Chinese embassy.

Gupta was also in Beijing on Wednesday for further talks.

The US' opioid-fuelled drug crisis has led to the deaths of more than 100,000 Americans a year for the past few years and continues to worsen, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The fentanyl problem is not China's problem, nor was it caused by China. But out of humanitarian considerations, China has been doing its utmost to help the US side deal with the fentanyl issue," Xie said, adding that his country had "made great efforts" and "demonstrated its sincerity for cooperation".

The synthetic drug fentanyl is among the most potent opioids - up to 100 and 50 times stronger than morphine and heroin, respectively. It is often added to other drugs and used unknowingly.

"The US side needs to move in the same direction with China, take China's concerns seriously and earnestly address them, so as to create a favourable atmosphere for cooperation," Xie said.

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, which has the stated goal of building consensus on and defending the US against "the threat posed by [Beijing]", has accused China of "directly" subsidising those who make and export fentanyl.

In April, the panel alleged that Beijing encouraged the production of precursor chemicals by providing "monetary grants and awards", including state tax rebates and other financial incentives after the product was exported.

The Chinese embassy in turn highlighted Beijing's anti-drug campaigns, investigations and joint efforts with Washington.

A counternarcotics working group was launched in January, two months after a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Joe Biden hailed "breakthroughs" in bilateral ties. Deputy homeland security adviser Jen Daskal led an inter-agency delegation to Beijing for the inauguration.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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