Top US Senator Chuck Schumer accuses Chinese firms of ‘fuelling’ fentanyl crisis

During his visit to China on Saturday (Oct 7) United States Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Chinese firms of “fuelling” a drug addiction crisis across America while he met with officials in Shanghai on the first leg of his visit. He also said that Washington did not seek to decouple from China but wanted reciprocal and fair treatment for American companies.

The Democratic party official is the latest high-level American official to visit China as Washington seeks to ease tensions with Beijing. Heis also leading a bipartisan congressional delegation to Asia, which includes stops in South Korea and Japan.

The group of six senators landed at Shanghai's Pudong airport at 2:00 pm (local time).

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China-US economic ties

During his meeting with Chen Jining, the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s chief official in Shanghai, Schumer stressed that the US “does not want to decouple our economies” or a conflict and wanted to achieve a level playing field, “as we compete economically.”

Schumer, as quoted by Reuters, said that “many of our constituents feel that in instances China does not treat American companies fairly,” and stressed the need for “reciprocity, allowing American companies to compete as freely in China as Chinese companies are able to compete here.”

Meanwhile, the Chinese official, Chen said the ties between the two countries were the most important bilateral relationship in the world and that they need to cooperate.

In 2022, after passing a sweeping bill to boost competition with China in semiconductors and other technology.

However, Schumer and Democratic committee leaders, earlier this year said that they would introduce legislation to limit the flow of technology to China as well as tighten rules to block American capital from going to Chinese companies.

Chinese firms ‘fuelling’ fentanyl crisis

The Senate majority leader during the meeting also raised an issue of Chinese firms’ role in the fentanyl drug addiction crisis in the United States. “This is not the government but this is Chinese companies,” Schumer stressed, as quoted by AFP.

He added, “They are fuelling the fentanyl crisis that is poisoning communities across the United States.”

Earlier this week, Washington also sanctioned a China-based network for producing and distributing chemicals used to make drugs which included those used to make fentanyl which are said to have been fueling the drug epidemic in the US.

However, Beijing opposing the sanctions has said that the opioid problem is “rooted in” the United States and not China’s responsibility. A report by Bloomberg said Schumer’s delegation has also sought a meeting with President Xi Jinping.

US restricts trade with 42 Chinese entities

US Commerce Department, on Friday (Oct 6) added 42 Chinese companies to a government export control list for their support of Russia’s military and defense industrial base which also included supply of US-origin integrated circuits.

Seven entities from Finland, Germany, India, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom were also added to the list.

(With inputs from agencies)



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