Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

The US is seeing "some meaningful steps" from China to assist it to resolve its fentanyl crisis, but there is a lot more to do, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Friday, citing a senior US official.

In the story entitled "China is finally starting to do something about the US fentanyl crisis," the WSJ said that "Chinese authorities quietly shut down chemical sellers and say they will regulate other opioid precursors," suggesting that China is responding slowly to the fentanyl issue and blaming China for the US' own problem.

While politicians in Washington frequently point fingers at China, rather than taking effective measures to tackle the US' own fentanyl crisis, US media outlets contribute to the confusion with misleading reports. The WSJ report fails to acknowledge China's efforts to assist the US to address the issue and do not accurately assess the progress of cooperation between China and the US on fentanyl.

In fact, in an effort to stabilize bilateral ties, China has shown good faith and made constructive efforts to help address the US' fentanyl issue, promoting cooperation in this area between the two sides. Scapegoating and pressing China will not fool the US public nor will it help Washington effectively address the life-costing fentanyl crisis.

Evidently, the underlying cause of the widespread and stubborn fentanyl abuse problem in the US can be traced back to systemic issues within the country itself. Factors such as inadequate regulation of psychotropic drugs, political divisions impeding effective drug control measures, shortcomings in the healthcare system, lack of comprehensive health education, and other domestic challenges are the true roots of the fentanyl crisis in the US. 

It is essential, in line with international norms and standards, for both the importers and the government of the importing country to ensure that chemicals are not misused for illicit purposes. US policymakers should confront the question of how fentanyl, originally intended to alleviate pain for patients, has morphed into a dangerous substance of abuse in the US.

By stark contrast, in terms of counter-narcotics, China has the strongest determination, the most relentless policy and one of the best records in the world. For enterprises applying for export of precursor chemicals, China requires them to submit a certificate of lawful use issued by the competent government department of the importer or a guarantee document of lawful use by the importer.

In terms of cooperating with the US to combat its fentanyl crisis, China has been assisting the US in dealing with the fentanyl issue to the best of its ability based on humanitarian considerations. This spirit of cooperation and responsible attitude deserves respect and recognition, rather than being slandered and criticized.

Perhaps, US politicians and media outlets are fully aware that it is completely unjust and insincere to keep placing blame on China for the ongoing fentanyl crisis. They are just deliberately trying to shift the blame onto China, and as for politicians, they are trying to dodge their responsibility for their failure to take really effective but difficult measures to combat the deep-seated domestic crisis.

However, the fentanyl crisis in the US is urgent. Americans, representing less than 5 percent of the global population, consume a staggering 80 percent of the world's opiates. The issue tragically claimed the lives of about 75,000 individuals in 2023 alone, according to the WSJ. American politicians need to stop playing political games by shifting blame onto China.

It is time for the US to take concrete and effective actions to tackle the fentanyl crisis. The US needs to ramp up efforts to confront the pharmaceutical companies' poorly regulated marketing moves, doctors' excessive prescribing practices and the negative impact of other regulatory loopholes that have been fueling the relentless growth of the drug market which have ultimately led to the crisis of abuse.

In seeking cooperation with China, what the US needs is continuous communication rather than pressing and blaming. The US should cherish China's good faith and seek practical solutions to the fentanyl problem. Only in this way can the US prevent the cooperation with China in combating its fentanyl crisis from falling apart.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. bizopinion@globaltimes.com.cn