US House passes bill to hold Chinese officials accountable for spread of fentanyl
- ‘The Chinese Communist Party plays a prominent role in every step of the fentanyl crisis,’ says Representative Andy Barr, sponsor of the ‘Stop Chinese Fentanyl’ bill
- The chamber also approved legislation directing the US State Department to report on China’s efforts to undermine Taiwan in international organisations
The US House of Representatives passed several bills on Tuesday intended to counter Chinese competition and influence, including one to hold Chinese officials accountable for the spread of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids in the United States.
The opioid bill, called Stop Chinese Fentanyl, redefined “foreign opioid trafficker” in a fentanyl sanctions law passed in 2019 to include Chinese entities and government officials who fail to take steps to prevent opioid trafficking.
“The Chinese Communist Party plays a prominent role in every step of the fentanyl crisis, from producing precursor chemicals to transferring expertise to laundering cartel profits who illegally traffic it into the United States,” said the bill’s sponsor, Representative Andy Barr, a Kentucky Republican and member of the House select committee on China.
Tuesday’s bipartisan vote came as the US and China weigh a deal on fentanyl. According to The Wall Street Journal, the White House is considering lifting sanctions on a Chinese police forensics institute to secure Beijing’s cooperation on counter-narcotics.