On February 1, the United States government announced a new 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports under the pretext of combatting the proliferation of the opioid fentanyl. The following day, the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that China firmly deplored and opposed this move and would take necessary countermeasures to defend its legitimate rights and interests.

Indeed, a new tariff is counterproductive not only when it comes to efforts to rein in the production and distribution of fentanyl but also for bilateral trade relations.

The US is one of the largest consumers of fentanyl-based drugs in the world and in recent years, their abuse has exacerbated drug addiction and caused many deaths. The crisis has its roots in longstanding opioid use patterns in the country, the profit-driven nature of the US pharmaceutical industry, inadequate public awareness and ineffective social governance.

China has some of the world’s toughest counternarcotics policies and laws. In the spirit of humanity and goodwill, China has given support to the US’s response to this issue. At the US’s request, China announced back in 2019 the decision to officially schedule fentanyl-related substances as a class. China has conducted counternarcotics cooperation with the US side in such fields as........

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