Lawrence Kadish, a member of the board of governors for the Gatestone Institute, said that the level of surveillance in China indicates that the government is allowing its fentanyl exports to continue. Kadish shared his statement in a September 11 commentary.
"In a nation that rigidly controls its internet, prevents free speech, bans public demonstrations and jails anyone who questions the wisdom of its leader, China has clearly made a strategic decision to allow their fentanyl operations to continue," said Kadish. "They have obviously determined that it may be a far more cost-effective way to harm the United States than the trillions of yuan spent to greatly expand their military forces. Without a shot being fired at our nation, the Chinese believe they have found a way of reducing America to a second-rate nation."
According to the Gatestone Institute, a recent national poll by McLaughlin & Associates found that "52.4 percent of Americans suspect that the Chinese are exporting the deadly drug for the specific purpose of destabilizing our society," with 19.4% disagreeing and 28.3% not having an opinion. The survey also found that over a third of Americans, or approximately 100 million individuals, "know someone whose life had been harmed or taken by fentanyl."
The National Institute on Drug Abuse reported there were 107,941 total drug overdoses in 2022. Overdoses involving synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, continued to rise, with 73,838 overdose deaths in 2022.
A report from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) identified the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the "ultimate geographic source of the fentanyl crisis," under CCP leadership. The Select Committee found that the PRC government directly subsidizes manufacturing and export of illicit fentanyl materials and other synthetic narcotics through tax rebates; provided monetary grants to companies openly trafficking these substances; holds interest in several PRC companies tied to drug trafficking; censors content about domestic drug sales but leaves export-focused narcotics content untouched; and fails to prosecute fentanyl and precursor manufacturers.
The Select Committee's report indicated that despite public acknowledgment by the PRC government that trafficking fentanyl precursors and other illicit narcotic materials is illegal under Chinese law, it fails to prosecute these "flagrant violations." The Select Committee recommended that the U.S. government establish a joint task force to address fentanyl trafficking, provide law enforcement and intelligence officials with necessary information and tools, strengthen U.S. sanctions, and utilize trade and customs enforcement measures to restrict fentanyl trafficking.
Kadish is also a senior advisor to Americans for Victory over Terrorism (AVOT) and founding chairman of the Committee for Security and Peace in the Middle East, according to Newsmax.
