How the US and China Play the Fentanyl Blame Game
Cutting off the drug’s supply won’t solve America’s addiction crisis. That requires serious commitment to programs that help users.
Fentanyl supply is only part of the issue driving America’s opioid crisis.
Photographer: Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images
China is an easy scapegoat for America’s fentanyl addiction. The US has made it part of trade negotiations between the two superpowers, but recent shifts in production and supply tell a more nuanced story.
Addressing fentanyl’s flow requires cooperation from both nations. That’s challenging, but not impossible. Beijing could work more closely with American law enforcement to crack down on Chinese chemical firms that export the ingredients going into the drug. Washington could stop using it as a political weapon, while also keeping up hard-fought momentum against the opioid crisis.