A recent U.S. report has highlighted the significant role of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in fuelling the fentanyl crisis, emphasizing the urgent need for action.

The report, compiled by the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, details how Chinese companies produce nearly all illicit fentanyl precursors, which are then used by Mexican cartels to manufacture fentanyl for distribution in the U.S. and globally.

The investigation revealed that the CCP's involvement includes subsidising the manufacturing and export of these illicit materials through tax rebates and monetary grants to companies involved in the fentanyl trade.

Additionally, the PRC government holds ownership interests in several companies trafficking illicit fentanyl materials, further entangling the state in the crisis.

The report also notes that while the PRC aggressively prosecutes domestic drug trafficking, it fails to address the export of illicit narcotics, allowing these substances to flow freely out of the country.

The fentanyl crisis has devastating consequences, with fentanyl being the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45 and contributing to a historic drop in American life expectancy.

The report calls for the establishment of a joint task force to combat opioids, strengthening U.S. sanctions against entities involved in the fentanyl trade, and enhancing international law enforcement cooperation to disrupt trafficking networks.

Bipartisan legislation has been proposed to address these issues, including sanctions against Chinese entities and the creation of a U.S. task force to combat narcotics trafficking.

This report underscores the CCP's strategic and economic benefits from the fentanyl crisis, which has enriched China's chemical industry and enabled CCP-tied groups to become major players in global money laundering.

The urgency of the situation demands immediate and coordinated action to mitigate the crisis.

ANI