(TotalConservative.com) – President Xi Jinping of China has agreed to help stem the tide of fentanyl precursor chemicals being exported to Mexico where cartels use them to manufacture the deadly opioid.
Biden announced the agreement, which included other Chinese manufactured goods, like pill-presses, that are also used in the production of fentanyl pills. He said that the deal was “going to save lives” and that he was grateful for President Xi Jinping’s “commitment” to stopping the fentanyl flooding across America’s southern border.
Biden said they fully intended to monitor compliance and assess impact with bilateral teams on each side that coordinate and measure the response. Biden wanted to “make sure it works,” he said during a press conference announcing the deal.
Over a hundred thousand Americans were killed by intentional or accidental overdose of fentanyl in the year preceding November 2023, according to the CDC.
China had previously agreed to cease all shipments of fentanyl to the U.S. in 2019 after President Trump pressured them. Chinese chemical manufacturers still shipped precursor chemicals abroad, and specifically to Mexico where cartels purchase them in large quantities to manufacture the drug before smuggling it north into the U.S.
Authorities claimed almost all the chemicals and equipment used to manufacture the drug are being sourced from China, so cutting off their access should restrict their ability to produce illicit fentanyl.
Critics say there’s very little way to know if China will follow through upon its agreements and that the proof will be in the pudding.
U.S.-based China experts also note that China doesn’t react well to criticism and could abandon the commitment to the deal should U.S. officials make public remarks they find unflattering.
Hours after the announcement, Biden referred to President Xi Jinping as a “dictator” in response to remarks by a spokeswoman from the Chinese communist government suggesting China retaking Taiwan was inevitable.
Copyright 2023, TotalConservative.com
