US to Assist in Stopping Chinese Drug Trafficking in Pacific Nations.

August 29, 2024 TruthUSA

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell noted that criminals from China and South Asia are utilizing the Pacific Islands as a pathway for drug transit.

The United States pledges to combat illicit drug trafficking in the Pacific Islands, which has emerged as a key link in the drug trade route from China to the United States, stated Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell on Thursday.

In Vanuatu, Campbell made this declaration during the official opening of the new U.S. embassy in Port Vila, which commenced operations last month.

Given the widespread opioid crisis resulting in thousands of overdose deaths annually, the United States has criticized Chinese companies for their involvement in the global fentanyl supply chain. Additionally, countries like Fiji and Tonga in the Pacific have witnessed an uptick in methamphetamine seizures this year.

According to a January 2020 report from the Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl and its precursors from China were predominantly smuggled to the United States in small packages in previous years.

Campbell highlighted to journalists on Thursday that criminal networks have increasingly been using the Pacific Islands as junction points.

“We are alarmed that networks from China and Southeast Asia are beginning to exploit the Pacific for transshipment to Latin America and the United States,” he pointed out.

“Many Pacific partners wish to cooperate with us to address this issue,” he added.

Campbell disclosed that there would be an upcoming announcement next week regarding law enforcement actions against drug trafficking in the Pacific.

Furthermore, he expressed U.S. readiness to assist in activities related to drug interception, treatment, and prevention.

Following his participation in the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga, Campbell visited Vanuatu a day later. He mentioned that after discussions with Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele, who assumed office in May, the Solomon Islands, which previously entered a security agreement with China, is eager to reconnect with the United States.

In Tonga, Campbell also met with China’s Pacific representative Qian Bo, discussing potential collaboration in the Pacific, including a climate change initiative, which was positively received by regional leaders.

Efforts are underway by the United States to provide financial support for small businesses to boost tourism, upgrade healthcare facilities, enhance telecommunications in Vanuatu, and ensure Pacific Island nations have diverse partners to choose from.

Notably, China is Vanuatu’s largest external lender due to extensive infrastructure projects undertaken by Chinese firms over the past decade.

Recently, the Pacific Island Forum approved an Australian-funded plan worth $271 million to enhance law enforcement training in the region and establish a mobile police unit.

Australia has expressed concerns about China’s increasing police presence in the area. Strengthening the capabilities of Pacific law enforcement could diminish the dependency on Chinese police forces.

Illicit Drug Trafficking

Campbell’s announcement coincides with U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan’s discussions with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing, where they addressed various issues, including drug trafficking to the United States.

“Specifically, our focus will be on making progress in counternarcotics and curbing the influx of illicit synthetic drugs into the United States,” Sullivan informed reporters on Thursday.

China has notably been a significant source of fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances, which are the primary cause of overdose fatalities in the U.S.

In a positive step, Beijing added fentanyl-related materials to its controlled substances list in May 2019. This move received praise from former President Donald Trump, who had repeatedly urged Xi to halt the drug flow. However, Trump later expressed disappointment in Xi for failing to fulfill this commitment.

Subsequently, Beijing suspended talks with Washington on several issues, including counternarcotics, in August 2022 after a visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan.

Although talks resumed earlier this year, the suspension raised concerns that the Chinese government might employ the issue as leverage during heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

In April this year, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) released a report suggesting that evidence pointed to the regime directly supporting the production and export of illicit fentanyl substances and other synthetic narcotics, many of which have no legitimate purpose worldwide, through tax benefits.

The report also highlighted how the Chinese regime financially incentivized companies involved in trafficking illicit fentanyl substances and other synthetic narcotics, had ownership stakes in several Chinese firms implicated in drug trafficking, and hindered U.S. law enforcement investigations by tipping off manufacturers in advance.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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