China and US engage in tit-for-tat sanctions over fentanyl trade and tech blockade.
China has criticized the US sanctions on two Chinese companies and four nationals for allegedly supplying precursor chemicals to drug cartels in Mexico for the production of illicit fentanyl intended for US markets. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson argued that the move from the US to impose sanctions "seriously undermines" bilateral cooperation between the two countries over drug control. The US Treasury Department filed the sanctions after working in "close coordination" with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Justice Department. The Justice Department unveiled a wave of indictments against members of the Sinaloa Cartel, which authorities are calling "the largest, most violent, and most prolific fentanyl trafficking operation in the world."