China's public security ministry firmly opposes US threat of additional tariff hike

BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Public Security on Friday voiced firm opposition to the U.S. threat of imposing an additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese exports.

The spokesperson made the remarks in response to a media inquiry on the United States' threatened tariff hike, which would be in effect from March 4 and cited fentanyl issues as the cause.

Once again, the United States is using the fentanyl issue as a pretext to impose tariffs on Chinese goods, the spokesperson said.

China has some of the strictest and most thoroughly enforced anti-drug policies in the world, and it actively engages in international cooperation on drug control.

China has provided support to the United States in addressing the fentanyl issue out of humanitarian goodwill and has achieved significant results, according to the spokesperson.

The spokesperson noted that the root cause of the U.S. fentanyl crisis lies within the country itself, adding that reducing domestic drug demand and strengthening law enforcement cooperation are the fundamental solutions.

The U.S. side ignores objective facts and fails to address the core issue of drug demand while shifting blame onto other countries. This approach does not contribute to solving the problem and will severely impact China-U.S. cooperation on drug control, the spokesperson said.

The Chinese side urges the U.S. side to correct its wrongful actions, preserve the hard-won progress in bilateral anti-drug cooperation, and return to the right path that benefits the people of both nations.