The General Administration of Customs Photo: VCG
China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) said on Monday that it has adopted legal management and control and comprehensive measures to maintain a "high-pressure" stance in the investigation and seizure of fentanyl-related substances.
An official of the GAC made the remarks in responding to a question about China's regulations on customs declarations and exports of fentanyl-related substances and the GAC's regulatory measures to prevent smuggling of fentanyl-related substances, according to a post on the GAC's official website.
The GAC official stated that under relevant regulations issued in 2013, fentanyl-related medications with drug properties, including alfentanil, fentanyl, remifentanil and sufentanil, are managed as narcotic drugs. The import and export of narcotic drugs and psychotropic drugs within the scope specified by the country shall be subject to the import and export licenses issued by the national drug supervision and administration department, the official said.
Individuals traveling with fentanyl-related medications must present medical documentation. And travelers in need of such medications may bring amounts up to the maximum dosage outlined in a single prescription, subject to customs clearance based on personal use. Healthcare professionals may also carry a limited supply of these drugs for medical purposes, provided they hold certification from authorities at or above the provincial level, according to the GAC.
The GAC's comprehensive measures include enhanced risk analysis, the deployment of CT and X-ray systems, and continuous training to help officers detect concealed or misreported shipments of fentanyl-related substances, the GAC official said.
The comments came after multiple Chinese agencies have also reaffirmed the country's stringent control over fentanyl-related substances.
China maintains a zero-tolerance attitude toward drugs, including fentanyl-related substances, and it continues to take proactive action, apply high pressure and strike hard, while expanding systemic governance and addressing problems at the source, according to a white paper, "Controlling Fentanyl-Related Substances - China's Contribution," released on March 4 by the State Council Information Office.
China's oversight of fentanyl and related substances has always been consistent and among the strictest in the world, Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times. China has cooperated with other countries, including the US, in counternarcotics efforts and has never relaxed its tight surveillance on drug-related issues, Gao added.
The remarks also came after the US government has used fentanyl-related issues as a pretext to impose additional tariffs on Chinese products.
"Facts speak louder than words. The US is spreading all kinds of false information on the fentanyl issue, smearing and scapegoating China, and hiking tariffs on Chinese imports over fentanyl. Such move is unjustified and will do no one good," a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on the releasing of a white paper on March 4.
At a regular press briefing on Friday, when asked about US Senator Steve Daines' reported intention to discuss fentanyl and bilateral trade during his visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China all along believed that the two sides should solve each other's concerns through dialogue and consultation on the basis of equality and mutual respect.
Gao also noted that instead of smearing China over fentanyl and drug-related issues and using them as an excuse for hiking tariffs, the US should pursue dialogue and consultation with China to address each other's core concerns and resolve the dispute.
