Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Photo: VCG

 China strongly opposes the US' wrongdoing of sanctioning Chinese firms and individuals citing drug crackdown, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday.

"We urge the US to respect the facts, look more to itself for the causes of the fentanyl abuse problem, and objectively and fairly evaluate the efforts made by China, rather than blaming other countries," Wang Wenbin said at a routine news conference. 

The US on Wednesday imposed sanctions on four Chinese companies and one individual, claiming that it aims to combat the drug abuse addiction such as fentanyl in the country. 

Wang stressed that the Chinese government has always maintained a zero-tolerance attitude towards the drug problem and strictly controls all kinds of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their chemical premises. 

"China's efforts and achievements are evident to the international community," Wang said, refuting the US' sanctions. 

Wang pointed out that China has listed an entire category of fentanyl-like substances, while the US has taken no permanent measures to combat drugs, but instead added the Chinese Ministry of Public Security's Physical Evidence Identification Center and National Drug Laboratory to its sanctions list.

What the US does is like asking others to take medicine while one is sick himself, which will only interfere with the drug enforcement cooperation between China and the US, Wang noted. 

Media reports show that opioid abuse is on a growing trend in the US, and claims about one life every five minutes in the country. In the 12 months ending April 2021, more than 100,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses, a 28 percent increase over the same period last year.

Global Times