Is China using fentanyl as a weapon against the United States?

In recent years, more than 100,000 people have died in the United States from drug overdoses. The boom in the consumption of synthetic opiates, especially fentanyl, manager of more than 70,000 deaths in the country in 2021 and in 2022, has concentrated all the alarms. Much of this drug comes from Mexico, but precursors and other elements from China are used in its manufacture. Is Beijing using the fentanyl epidemic as a weapon against the United States? Its involvement in the trade has been evident, although purpose may be debatable.

The United States is facing the most lethal drug epidemic in its history, with more than 100,000 overdose deaths annually, mostly caused by fentanyl consumption. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, is produced in laboratories. It has become the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18 to 45 and is a major factor in the nation's historic decline in life expectancy. While the human impact is the priority, in a crisis of this magnitude the economic repercussions must also be considered. In 2020, the total cost of this epidemic was estimated to reach nearly $1.5 billion.

Given that all of the fentanyl consumed in the United States is not produced domestically, but is manufactured abroad, a question arises core topic: where does the fentanyl come from and how does it get to the United States? In the midst of this serious status, one main manager: China. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), China plays a significant role in this crisis, being the main provider of illegal fentanyl and other derivative compounds into the United States.

Until 2019, China was the leading source of finished fentanyl for the U.S. illicit market. However, that same year, the Chinese government included all fentanyl derivatives on its list of banned narcotics. This move did not stop the arrival of fentanyl, however, as the ban was limited to the production of its final version, which opened up a new avenue: the manufacture of the precursor chemicals needed to create it, as determined by a research carried out in the House of Representatives by the committee on the skill Strategic between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

That research was intended to better understand China's role in this crisis. It has established that companies in China produce virtually all of the illicit fentanyl precursors and that the smuggling is done through Mexico. Mexican criminal groups acquire fentanyl precursors in China and then traffic the finished fentanyl from Mexico to the United States, in operations that have been reported from various sources.

China perceives the fentanyl crisis from the perspective of its growing rivalry with the United States, which explains its unwillingness to implement effective measures to address this issue. This stance has its roots in 2022, when relations between the two countries reached their lowest point following the visit to Taiwan by Nancy Pelosi, then Speaker of the House of Representatives, which deteriorated counter-narcotics cooperation.

It must be considered that China seeks to displace US hegemony and become the world's leading power. Through the fentanyl strategy, it succeeds in weakening American society and forcing the United States to concentrate its efforts on this crisis, while at the same time benefiting economically, since precursor chemicals are extremely cheap to manufacture for the Chinese industry Chemistry and acquire a high value when converted into synthetic opioids. Although there is no conclusive evidence of direct Chinese government involvement, several pieces of evidence would suggest its involvement.

The annual loss of more than 70,000 people between the ages of 18 and 45 represents a significant impact on life expectancy, the country's productivity and even its ability to recruit. What is undeniable is that China is playing a key role in the fentanyl crisis, its efforts to combat it are minimal, and the main one affected by this status is, coincidentally, its biggest adversary: the United States.

Evidence supporting the idea of geopolitical intent includes the findings of the aforementioned committee of the U.S. congress , which established that the Chinese government directly subsidizes the manufacture and export of illicit fentanyl materials through tax rebates. In addition, it provides monetary subsidies to companies that openly traffic in these materials and allows the free sale of fentanyl precursors on the internet. This crisis has also consolidated organized criminal groups with ties to the PCC as world leaders in money laundering. Despite US efforts and formal indictments, the Chinese government has not prosecuted precursor manufacturers or cooperated with US authorities.

The United States has requested on numerous occasions that the CCP take action. Although it has been given names and substantial evidence implicating those responsible, Chinese actions have been insufficient. For example, despite pledging to combat online drug networks, they have failed to do so. Likewise, they were asked to regulate their chemical companies and alert them that their drug trafficking is illegal under their own laws, but did not issue a public notice until President Biden's intervention, when considerable time had already passed. It is hard to believe that a country with one of the most extensive monitoring and surveillance systems in the world is not fully aware of this massive drug trafficking.

Despite evidence of China's role core topic in the fentanyl crisis, authorities deflect responsibility, arguing that the problem lies in the persistent demand for this opioid in Western culture.

However, the status began to turn a year ago. After long refusing to cooperate with the United States and failing to implement adequate domestic controls, China agreed to resume cooperation in November 2023, motivated by the need to stabilize relations with the United States. The change came in September 2023, when the United States included China on its annual list of top drug producers. In January 2024, the revived anti-drug commissionbetween the two countries finally held its first meeting meeting.

As for the crisis, overdose deaths have been declining slightly. In fact, in recent months the annual cumulative has been falling below 100,000 deaths for the first time since 2021, so that the 2024 total could fall below that figure. That decline is driven by a reduction in fentanyl deaths, which at the end of 2023 stood at the 60,000 mark.