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BEIJING,June24(Xinhua)--ChinaurgestheUnitedStatestostopusingfentanyl-relatedissuesasapretexttosanction,indictorofferawardstohuntChinesecompaniesornationals,aspokespersonfortheChineseforeignministrysaidSaturday.

OnJune23localtime,theU.S.DepartmentofJusticeannouncedindictmentschargingChina-basedcompaniesandtheiremployeeswithcrimesrelatedtofentanylproduction,distributionandsalesresultingfromprecursorchemicals.

Inresponsetoarelatedquery,aForeignMinistryspokespersonsaidU.S.lawenforcementpersonnelensnaredChinesenationalsthrough"stingoperation"inathirdcountryandblatantlypressedchargesagainstChineseentitiesandindividuals.Thisistypicalarbitrarydetentionandunilateralsanction,whichiscompletelyillegal.ItseriouslyharmsthebasichumanrightsoftheChinesenationalsandtheinterestsoftheChinesecompaniesconcerned.

"ChinastronglycondemnsthismoveandhaslodgedseriousdémarchesandstrongprotesttotheU.S.side,"thespokespersonsaid.

Chinaisanactiveparticipantininternationalcounter-narcoticscooperation.Outofasenseofhumanitarianism,Chinascheduledfentanyl-relatedsubstanceasaclass—thefirstcountrytodosointheworld—whichhasplayedanimportantroleinpreventingtheillicitmanufacturing,traffickingandabuseoffentanyl,thespokespersonnoted.

InsteadofgivingChinathecreditforitscontribution,theUnitedStatesimposedillegalsanctionsonChinesecounter-narcoticsinstitutionsandthenopenlyslanderedChina"scounter-narcoticseffortsandillegallysanctionedChinesecompanies.TheUnitedStateshasnowgoneevenfurtherbyensnaringandindictingChinesenationals,thespokespersonsaid.

Suchlong-armjurisdictionandbullyismthattramplesoninternationallawhasfurtherunderminedthelawfulrightsandinterestsofrelevantChineseinstitutionsandnationals,andseriouslyundercutthefoundationforChina-U.S.cooperationoncounter-narcotics,thespokespersonadded.

ThingstheUnitedStateshassofarbeendoingtoaddressitsconcernsoverthedrugproblem—beitpressuretactics,coercionorsomekindofillegaloperations—areessentiallyallaboutscapegoating.Thiswillnotworkandbenefitsnoone,thespokespersonsaid.

"WeurgetheUnitedStatestostopshiftingtheblame,stopsmearingandattackingChina,immediatelyliftallsanctionsonChinesecounter-narcoticslawenforcementinstitutions,stopusingfentanyl-relatedissuesasapretexttosanction,indictorofferawardstohuntChinesecompaniesornationals,stopthearbitrarydetentions,andimmediatelyreleasetheChinesenationalsunderillegalarrest,"thespokespersonsaid.

ChinawillcontinuetodowhatisnecessarytofirmlydefendthelawfulrightsandinterestsofChinesecompaniesandnationals,thespokespersonadded.