Scapegoating others can't end US' drug crisis

US president-elect Donald Trump, who will enter office on Jan 20, plans to raise tariffs by an additional 10 percent on all Chinese goods exported to the United States, citing fentanyl abuse as the reason, which he attributes to China's failure in drug control.

On the same day, Trump also vowed to impose tariffs of 25 percent on all products from Mexico and Canada citing drug problems and illegal immigration as the causes. Trump said although he has had many talks with China about the massive amounts of drugs, in particular fentanyl, being sent into the United States, the talks were "to no avail". He also claimed that, contrary to promises, Beijing did not impose the death penalty on such drug dealers.

The excuse the president-elect has given to justify his threat of additional tariffs on imports from China is far-fetched. If Trump really had many talks with China, he would know that the Chinese government attaches great importance to fighting the trade in narcotics. The control measures on fentanyl-like substances are a concrete manifestation of China's strict drug control regime and its upholding of co-governance to address global drug problems. These measures have been fully recognized by the international community.