File photo: VCG

The US accused China of being the main source of fentanyl substances in its country, but this lacks evidence and is totally inconsistent with the facts.

Geng Shuang, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, made the remarks during a routine press conference on Wednesday.

Geng called on the US to objectively view efforts China has made to fight fentanyl trafficking and stop blaming others.

China already added all fentanyl-related substances to a supplementary list of controlled narcotics and psychotropic substances for nonmedical use on May 1, Geng added.

Such steps show the Chinese government's determination to safeguard the Chinese people's lives and health, as well as its sense of responsibility to actively participate in global drug control and to maintain world peace and stability, Geng said.

Geng said significant achievements have been made in the pipeline of fentanyl substances in China. So far this year, China has not found a single case of illegal manufacturing, trafficking and smuggling of fentanyl substances.

“US should respect the fact that fentanyl from legitimate Chinese manufacturers never flowed into the United States,” Geng said. “The fentanyl epidemic in the United States is driven by a widespread tradition of prescription painkiller abuse in the United States, where five percent of the world's population consumes 80 percent of the world's opioids. If the US wants to truly solve its domestic fentanyl trafficking problem, it needs to do its job well.”

The manufacture, sale and abuse of fentanyl substances are an international problem that requires the joint efforts of all countries, Geng said. “The Chinese government is willing to deepen cooperation with the United States and other countries to promote international co-management of fentanyl substances and jointly solve the problem of fentanyl substance abuse.”

(Compiled by Zhu Yurou)