Biden lifts Chinese trade sanctions in push to curb fentanyl production

WASHINGTON (TND) — President Joe Biden has agreed to lift sanctions on China in exchange for the country’s cooperation in cracking down on the deadly drug fentanyl.

The deal removes the Chinese Ministry of Public Security’s Institute of Forensic Science from the U.S. sanctions list. The agency was previously added to the list in 2020 due to human rights concerns over its alleged treatment of Uyghurs and other religious minorities throughout China.

In exchange, the country promises to work to halt shipments of chemicals to the U.S. which are used to created the synthetic opioid fentanyl, which has risen to epidemic levels of use in the U.S.

"The continued listing of the IFS [Institute of Forensic Sciences] on the Commerce Entity List was a barrier to achieving cooperation on stopping the trafficking of precursor chemicals," State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said Thursday.

Human rights activists and Republicans lambasted the move as going soft on China for its offenses.

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"The United States has a legal obligation, under federal law, to address atrocity crimes once they have been determined as such,” Rayhan Asat, a human rights lawyer of Uyghur heritage, told Reuters. “The question then arises: should addressing one issue take precedence over addressing the genocide? Can't we address both?"

Chinese mediacheered the move, however, describing it as working to “establish a working group on counternarcotics cooperation” and “resume on the basis of equality an respect high-level military-to-military communication.”

Fentanyl has become an increasingly prevalent drug in the U.S. In June, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, introduced legislation aimed at Chinese companies and Mexican cartel groups responsible for letting fentanyl into the U.S. The legislation earned 61 cosponsors from congressmembers of both political parties.

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In California, a homeless pedophile who camped across the street form a K-12 school recentlydisplayed signs reading “free fentanyl 4 new users” and “meth for stolen items.”