U.S. Dept. of State - IIP: The United States and China

Text: 2001 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report
(Excerpt concerning China)

Following is an excerpt from the U.S. Department of State's 2001 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report:

Excerpt from International Narcotics Control Strategy Report
March 2002
United States Department of State
Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

China

The People's Republic of China (PRC) remains a major transit country for illegal narcotics produced in the Golden Triangle. China continued to take strong measures to stem the production, abuse, and trafficking of narcotics in 2001, but indications like growing seizures and more domestic drug abusers point to a drug problem in China that is getting worse. Chinese authorities clearly understand the threat posed by drug trafficking in the region, and they have begun to take steps to integrate China into regional and global counternarcotics efforts. Trafficking cases rose in 2001, but the amount of illicit narcotics seized by the authorities rose as well. Preliminary figures for 2001 suggest that heroin seizures by Chinese law enforcement personnel will significantly exceed last year's total by year's end, while seizures of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS), tracking growing illicit domestic production and trafficking, are up as well.

Throughout 2001, Chinese authorities continued to provide U.S. counternarcotics officials with samples of many types of drugs seized en route to the United States. In 2000 the United States and China signed a mutual legal assistance agreement, which entered into force March 8, 2001. China is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention.

China is situated adjacent to both the "Golden Triangle" and the "Golden Crescent." Most seizures of Southeast Asian heroin now occur within Chinese borders. Preliminary figures suggest that heroin seizures in 2001 were the highest in years, easily topping the record 7,358 kilograms seized in 1998. ATS seized in 2001 will likely exceed the quantity seized in 2000. Drug abuse in general continues to rise in China. The Chinese government has reported that there were 900,000 registered drug addicts in 2001, an increase of over 200,000 in two years. Officials privately admit that the actual number of users is likely far higher.

China is a major producer of precursor chemicals, including acetic anhydride, potassium permanganate, piperonylmethylketone (PMK), and ephedra. China monitors all 22 of the precursor chemicals listed in Table I and Table II of the 1988 UN Drug Convention. China continues to be a strong partner with the United States and other concerned countries in implementing a system of pre-export notification of dual-use precursor chemicals. (For details, see the Chemical Controls section of this report.)

Policy Initiatives. In June 2000, the government issued a "White Paper" on drugs, which laid out a comprehensive strategy for fighting narcotics use and trafficking. This strategy, which covered all of the major goals and objectives of the 1988 UN Drug Convention, puts emphasis on education, rehabilitation, eradication, precursor chemical control, and interdiction. In 2001, Chinese counternarcotics authorities proceeded with these efforts.

Cultivation/Production. Through its effective eradication program, China essentially has eliminated commercial narcotic drug cultivation within the PRC. The government continues to target small-scale cultivation in remote areas of the country's northwest. Ephedra, a plant from which the precursor for methamphetamine is made, grows wild in northern parts of China. The government tightly controls exports of this key precursor.

Faced with a growing threat from methamphetamine and synthetic drugs such as ecstasy, the government made closing down illicit drug laboratories a top priority in 2001. These efforts halted many illicit operations, but new ones continue to spring up, especially in China's more remote locations.

Drug Flow/Transit. China shares a 2,000-kilometer border with Burma. The majority of heroin produced in Burma now travels through China en route to the international market. Reflecting China's importance as a transshipment route, most seizures of Burmese heroin now take place in China. Smaller quantities of heroin enter China from Laos, Vietnam, and Southwest Asia, including an increasing flow from the neighboring "Golden Crescent" countries.

Law Enforcement Efforts. Preliminary figures suggest that seizures of heroin by Chinese law enforcement personnel in 2001 were up in virtually all areas compared to the previous year. China accounted for more heroin seizures in 2001 than all other East Asian countries combined. Seizures of methamphetamine also remained high.

In 2001, responding to U.S. requests, Chinese authorities increased their level of cooperation with the United States in sharing drug-related strategic intelligence. Ministry of Public Security (MPS) officials routinely facilitated trips for U.S. law enforcement authorities operating out of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. On several occasions, MPS officials provided vital intelligence information on suspected drug traffickers that resulted in the identification of several major suppliers.

Corruption. Chinese officials admit that corruption is one of the most serious problems the country faces. Anticorruption campaigns have led to the arrest of hundreds of government officials, but rarely to a vigorous move against some in the Party and government who must be protecting drug producers and traffickers. China's recent entry into the WTO should have the effect of reducing tariff barriers to imports, and it will hopefully reduce smuggling and its attendant corruption. Narcotics traffickers are frequently able to take advantage of "routine, corrupt arrangements" (pay-to-pass the checkpoint) primarily designed to avoid high customs duties. Cases of narcotics-related corruption in China are seldom reported in the press, but clearly play an important role in China's growing drug trafficking and illicit production problem. At the same time, there are clearly a preponderance of officials who move aggressively against narcotics crime despite blandishment of corrupt payments.

Domestic Programs (Demand Reduction). Education and rehabilitation play major roles in China's counternarcotics strategy. According to official statistics, there were 900,000 registered addicts in 2001, but officials admit that the real figure may be many times higher. Individuals identified as addicts are subject to compulsory rehabilitation. China provides counternarcotics education to all school children, and has also taken steps to warn citizens about the link between intravenous drug use and HIV/AIDS. According to official statistics, the number of HIV/AIDS patients in China has risen to over 22,000, up from a reported 12,639 in 1998. Presently, nearly 71 percent of China's HIV/AIDS cases are reported to have become infected via drug injection, as opposed to 67.5 percent in 1998. China has continued to implement "drug free community" programs in order to mobilize entire communities to work together to combat narcotics trafficking and encourage addicts not to relapse.

Agreements and Treaties. China is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, as amended by the 1972 Protocol. China has signed more than 30 mutual legal assistance treaties with 24 countries. On March 8, 2001, a mutual legal assistance agreement between China and the United States entered into force. It potentially constitutes a powerful tool for obtaining evidence important to the U.S. investigation and prosecution of transnational criminals, including narcotics traffickers. China has long refused to provide assistance in response to U.S. requests, and this reluctance has continued since the mutual legal assistance agreement entered into force. In 1999, China and the United States signed a bilateral customs mutual assistance agreement, but China has not yet activated it. This agreement, if brought into force, would facilitate cooperation by customs officials and enhance the flow of narcotics intelligence.

China also cooperates actively with countries in the region in the fight against drug trafficking. Along with the UN Drug Control Program and five Southeast Asian nations (Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam), China is a member of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) program. In the MOU, the members agreed to collaborate on drug-control projects and programs. In August 2001, senior officials from Thailand, Burma, Laos, and China met in Beijing to discuss ways to strengthen regional efforts to fight drug trafficking and the transshipment of precursor chemicals. China and Laos continue to cooperate in combating transnational crimes, including narcotics trafficking. China continues to support crop-substitution initiatives for farmers in Burma and Laos, as well as demand reduction efforts in areas bordering Yunnan province. China participates in the ASEAN-and-China Cooperative Operations in Response to Dangerous Drugs (ACCORD) program, an action plan developed by ASEAN in partnership with UNDCP. ACCORD has four major goals: fostering civic awareness of the dangers of drugs in the community, undertaking effective demand reduction, strengthening rule of law and law-enforcement cooperation, and eliminating illicit drugs through alternative development and eradication. China also participates in the "Six plus Two" Drug Control Mechanism program, with Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Russia, and the U.S.

Bilateral counternarcotics cooperation improved further in 2001. Chinese and U.S. officials continued to cooperate closely in conducting transnational investigations, exchanging information on existing and emerging threats, and developing Chinese law-enforcement capabilities.

Ministry for Public Security counternarcotics officers attended training courses at the International Law Enforcement Academy in Bangkok, Thailand, such as the Narcotics Unit Commanders Course, and the Transport Interdiction Course, and a training course organized by the DEA for forensics officials. In 2001, Chinese authorities provided their U.S. counterparts drug samples on numerous occasions.

The Road Ahead. Despite these advances, there is much room for improvement in U.S.-China cooperation on narcotics control, particularly in expanding and strengthening cooperation by exchanging narcotics-related intelligence. The United States has proposed holding regular meetings of working-level counternarcotics officials to discuss specific topics and targets of mutual interest, but little progress has been made in this area to date. The United States also continues to encourage China to provide more samples of narcotics seized. As in the past, the United States will continue to monitor both the transshipment of Burmese heroin through China and the threat posed by the explosive growth of methamphetamine trafficking in China.

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)