China calls US 'fentanyl issue' with Beijing 'blackmail, coercion'

By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) - China Friday said that the US' remarks on the "fentanyl issue" were a "leverage for pressure, blackmail, coercion, and threats."

“If the US continues to use the fentanyl issue to pressure, blackmail, coerce, and threaten China, it will only be counterproductive and deal a blow to the dialogue and cooperation between China and the US in the field of drug control,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian at a news conference in Beijing.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said earlier that China is "deliberately" flooding America with fentanyl.

Lin said Beijing “strongly deplores and firmly opposes that,” calling Rubio’s remarks “full of the Cold War mentality and advocating containment, suppression, and blame shifting.”

Beijing also voiced “firm opposition” to the US plans to levy an additional tariff of 10% on Chinese merchandise over the fentanyl issue and warned Washington that Beijing will take all “necessary countermeasures.”

US President Donald Trump announced Thursday that proposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China will take effect as scheduled, citing the flow of drugs, particularly fentanyl, into the country.

He blamed China for manufacturing and supplying a large percentage of the drugs, which he claimed have contributed to more than 100,000 deaths last year.

The tariffs, set to take effect March 4, include a 25% levy on imports from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10% on Chinese goods.

Expressing "firm opposition" to the US' move, a Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson said: “If the US insists on pushing ahead with the tariffs, China will take all necessary countermeasures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.”

Beijing urged Washington to “not make the same mistake again and again” and instead “return to the right track of properly resolving the differences through equal dialogue.”

The US and China are the world’s top two economies, and soon after he assumed office last month, Trump imposed an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports.

In a tit-for-tat move, Beijing imposed up to 15% tariffs on targeted US imports.