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BEIJING, Aug. 3-- The United States has groundlessly accused China of being the main source of fentanyl-like substances in the United States, blaming China for the U.S. fentanyl abuse crisis. This is a complete distortion of facts and is totally unacceptable to the Chinese people. The United States is the world's largest consumer market for narcotic drugs. The proliferation of fentanyl-like substances in the United States in recent years, which killed many people, is mainly linked to the country's tradition of abusing prescription painkillers. The United States has only itself to blame for the fentanyl abuse crisis. The accusation against China for being the main source of fentanyl-like substances is blatant slander. Fentanyl-like drugs are subject to strict management and control in China and no fentanyl-like drugs produced by legal manufacturers have ever been found to flow into the United States. Chinese law enforcement did crack cases of illegal processing or trafficking of fentanyl-like substances to the United States, but the number was very small. It is impossible for China to be a major source of fentanyl-like substances in the United States. Fentanyl-like substances are under strict control in China. A total of 25 fentanyl analogues and two precursors have been put on China's list of controlled substances, more than those on the United Nations' list. China began scheduling fentanyl-related substances on May 1. The international community including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) commended the move. | 
