Overlooking real trouble. Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Answering a question related to fentanyl at the daily briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin urged the US to deal with the issue in an equal, respect and cooperative manner.

The sanctions on Chinese agencies engaged in anti-drug work should be lifted as soon as possible to remove obstacles to dialogue and cooperation between the two sides, Wang Wenbin urged.

On Thursday, Wang Yi, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met Blinken in Jakarta, Indonesia on the sidelines of a series of ASEAN foreign ministers' meetings.

The Chinese spokesperson said Wang Yi had expressed China's stance over the fentanyl issue during the meeting with Blinken. China is one of the countries with the most resolute and thorough anti-drug policies in the world, as well as one of the best records.

In order to accommodate the concerns of the US and proceed from the overall situation of China-US relations, China made a decision several years ago to regulate fentanyl in its entirety. No other country has done so, Wang Wenbin noted.

Instead of fully recognizing China's efforts, the US has smeared, blamed China, and shirked its responsibility on the fentanyl issue and arrested Chinese citizens through phishing law enforcement, which is totally counterproductive, the Chinese spokesperson stated.