Tim Cheung (@TimCheung)

" #China is fueling the #fentanyl crisis in the #US. by directly subsidizing the manufacturing of materials that are used by #traffickers to make the #drug outside the country, according to a report released Tuesday by a special House committee focused on countering the Chinese government. Committee investigators said they accessed a government website that revealed tax rebates for the production of specific fentanyl precursors as well as other synthetic drugs as long as those companies sell them outside of China. 'Through its actions, as our report has revealed, the #Chinese #Communist Party is telling us that it wants more fentanyl entering our country', said Rep. Mike Gallagher, the Republican chairman of the special House committee. 'It wants the chaos and devastation that has resulted from the epidemic'...The Chinese government not only subsidizes the manufacturing of precursor chemicals, but the report says it has also thwarted investigations into illicit manufacturers by warning the targets of an investigation when #US. law enforcement has sent a formal request for assistance. Investigators said multiple current and former federal agents have described the notification of targets, leading those targets to revamp operations and make it harder to detect their activities. Former U.S. Attorney General #WilliamBarr told lawmakers in Tuesday’s hearing that it’s hard to believe that a country with the most pervasive surveillance system in the world is not fully aware of the massive drug trafficking taking place. He said the committee’s report 'uncovered persuasive evidence' that China’s government is not just a bystander, but is 'knee deep' in sponsoring and facilitating the export of fentanyl precursors...Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the top Democrat on the committee, said Chinese companies are also currently selling synthetic opioids on their websites, and pointed to a screenshot of one such solicitation that committee staff found just Monday night in advance of the hearing...'There are hundreds of these website posts — hundreds', Krishnamoorthi said. 'This is completely unacceptable'.” https://www.facebook.com/ChinaCreepingAuthoritarianism/posts/pfbid02oa3gatpk38NrvKz2vgFNBXkeVzcYfQaRFnBA1zBHz3hbctkuvKtXzwaTW2dSsqexl