The U.S. Justice Department on Friday filed criminal charges against four Chinese chemical manufacturing companies and eight individuals over allegations they illegally trafficked the chemicals used to make fentanyl — a highly addictive painkiller that has fueled the opioid crisis in the United States.
The indictments mark the first time the U.S. has sought to prosecute any of the Chinese companies responsible for manufacturing precursor chemicals used to make the painkiller.
Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu condemned the move as "a well-planned entrapment operation by the U.S. side, which seriously infringed upon the legitimate rights of relevant enterprises and individuals."
He said such "long-arm jurisdiction" would create more obstacles for China-U.S. counter-narcotics cooperation.
The move came after Antony Blinken made the first visit to China by a U.S. Secretary of State in five years and said he had made clear that Washington needs much greater Chinese cooperation to stem the flow of fentanyl.
Persons:
General Merrick Garland, Lisa Monaco, Robert F, Kennedy, Liu Pengyu, Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping
Organizations:
Attorney, Eastern, of, U.S, U.S . Justice, Embassy
Locations:
of New York, Washington ,, United States, China, U.S, Washington