(Beijing) Beijing on Saturday “strongly condemned” the “illegal” decision by US authorities to indict four Chinese companies and eight of their employees for smuggling the components needed to manufacture the synthetic opiate fentanyl into the United States. which is wreaking havoc in the country.
Two of these eight employees were arrested in Hawaii and taken into custody in unprecedented prosecutions announced Friday by the US Department of Justice (DoJ).
“This is a typical example of arbitrary detention and unilateral sanctions,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
“It is completely illegal and seriously infringes the fundamental rights of Chinese citizens and Chinese companies. China strongly condemns this,” the ministry continued.
According to the DoJ, Amarvel Biotech, one of the Chinese companies charged, is accused of single-handedly smuggling more than 200 kilograms of precursor chemicals into the United States “for the purpose of manufacturing more than 50 kilograms of fentanyl.” , enough to kill 25 million Americans.
The other three companies targeted by the American justice system are Anhui Rencheng Technology, Anhui Moker New Material Technology and Hefei GSK Trade.
These indictments “deeply undermine the establishment of anti-drug cooperation between China and the United States,” said the Chinese ministry.
The United States has recently stepped up its efforts to try to curb the spread of designer drugs, held responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths on its soil over the past decade.
Washington has in particular in its crosshairs the companies based in China suspected of sending components of fentanyl to Mexico, the main center of production of synthetic drugs then sold in the United States.
Visiting Beijing this week, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken raised the issue with Chinese leaders.