Trump predicts China to impose death penalty for fentanyl offences

President Donald Trump expressed optimism that China will soon begin imposing the death penalty on those involved in manufacturing and distributing fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid linked to the U.S. overdose crisis.

Speaking at a signing event for the Halt Fentanyl Act, which was attended by family members of overdose victims, Trump emphasised the connection between his trade policies and efforts to combat fentanyl trafficking, Caliber.Az reports via foreign policy.

“I think we’re going to work it out so that China is going to end up going from that to giving the death penalty to the people that create this fentanyl and send it into our country,” Trump said. “I believe that’s going to happen soon.”

Trump also noted that one reason behind the tariffs he imposed on Chinese goods was to pressure Beijing on this issue. The synthetic opioid fentanyl has been linked to tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the United States in recent years, sparking calls for stricter enforcement and international cooperation.

By Vugar Khalilov