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US seeks to heap pressure on China through global coalition tackling fentanyl and other opioids
- Citing meagre bilateral engagement, senior State Department official says ‘having other countries engage with the PRC will eventually bear fruit’
- Remarks precede planned launch of Washington-led, ministerial-level coalition to address synthetic drug threats
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Khushboo Razdanin New York
Amid meagre engagement with China in tackling the criminal diversion of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, the US seeks to involve other countries in its efforts and indirectly spur the Asian giant to act, a senior US official said on Thursday.
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Beijing in “recent months” has not cooperated with Washington to address threats arising from illicit drugs, according to Todd Robinson, an assistant secretary for the US State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
“Part of the reason we’re trying to bring this coalition together is to engage other countries in their efforts against these supply chains and part of their responsibility is going to be engaging with the PRC,” said Robinson.
“We think having other countries engage with the PRC will eventually bear fruit,” he added, describing illicit drugs as a global problem requiring a global response.
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Robinson said that although China was “not talking” to the US at the moment, it was in dialogue with other countries.
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