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A8 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 7 January 2017
DEA opens shop in China to help fight synthetic drug trade

ERIKA KINETZ tions operating in China along with 18 related com-
Associated Press and elsewhere,” Baer said pounds and is considering
SHANGHAI (AP) — In a sign in an email. blacklisting four more.
of improving cooperation “These criminal groups in U.S. officials have been
between the U.S. and Chi- Guangzhou utilize trade- pressing China to control
na to fight the global drug based money laundering additional opioids, which
trade, the Drug Enforce- schemes to legitimize drug can be easily purchased
ment Administration will profits, use the port fa- online from vendors in
open a new office there cilities as a transit point to China. China, meanwhile,
and its top chief will visit ship illegal narcotics, and has been seeking U.S. sup-
next week for the first time purchase synthetic drugs port to place ketamine, an
in more than a decade. along with precursor chem- anesthetic widely abused
The DEA said acting admin- icals.” in China, on a U.N.-main-
istrator Chuck Rosenberg Chinese officials dispute tained list of internationally
will visit Beijing, Guangzhou claims that China is the controlled substances.
and Hong Kong Monday In this Aug. 9, 2016, file photo, a bag of 4-fluoro isobutyryl fen- main source of fentanyl “We believe Mr. Rosen-
through Thursday, at the tanyl which was seized in a drug raid is displayed at the Drug and precursors, noting that berg’s visit will improve
invitation of China’s Minis- Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Testing and Research the U.S. has produced little both sides’ understand-
try of Public Security. The Laboratory in Sterling, Va. supporting data. None- ing and trust. It will help to
last time the head of the Associated Press theless, Beijing has taken improve cooperation in
DEA visited the country was DEA maintains that China for drug money, accord- significant steps to crack cracking down on drug
2005. is the top source country ing to a U.S. Justice Depart- down on the production crimes,” China’s National
The planned new office in for synthetic opioids like ment indictment unsealed and export of synthetic Narcotics Control Commis-
the city of Guangzhou will fentanyl and its precursors, in 2015. drugs, even though these sion told AP, noting that
likely be staffed with two which have been fueling “Intelligence and investi- substances are not widely Hu Minglang, then Direc-
special agents, pending fi- the deadliest drug abuse gative information have abused within China. Chi- tor General of China’s Nar-
nal approvals, said Russell epidemic in U.S. history. shown that Guangzhou has na already controls fentan- cotics Control Bureau, al-
Baer, a DEA special agent China is also emerging as strong ties to international yl, a painkiller up to 50 times ready visited Washington in
in Washington. a laundering destination drug trafficking organiza- more potent than heroin, September.

UN chief sees ‘historic opportunity’ for Cyprus breakthrough

EDITH M. LEDERER port to the Cyprus talks and
Associated Press commitment to a compre-
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — hensive settlement of the
Secretary-General Antonio issue.”
Guterres believes there is “He recognized the his-
“a historic opportunity” for toric moment for Cyprus”
a breakthrough in upcom- presented by the confer-
ing negotiations that would ence starting Jan. 12 and
reunite the divided Medi- “lauded the unprecedent-
terranean island of Cyprus ed progress made by the
after more than four de- leaders of the Greek Cypri-
cades, the United Nations ot and Turkish Cypriot com-
said Friday. munities,” Dujarric said.
The new U.N. chief will be The secretary-general “ap-
opening and chairing a pealed to all parties to use
conference that starts Jan. this opportunity to find cre-
12 with the Greek and Turk- ative and mutually accept-
ish Cypriot leaders and able solutions that address
Cyprus’ three guarantors the concerns of both com-
— Britain, Greece and Tur- munities,” Dujarric said.
key — that will be seeking Earlier, Dujarric said that
agreement on post-set- Gutteres emphasized “the
tlement security arrange-
ments, U.N. spokesman Ste- historic opportunity” in his
phane Dujarric said. meeting with and “under-
The Geneva conference In this photo provided by the United Nations, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, right, lined the need for mutually
shakes hands with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias at U.N. headquarters, Friday, Jan. 6, 2017.
will follow three days of Associated Press acceptable solutions that
talks between the island’s address the concerns of
Greek Cypriot president, and seeing how the parties 1983, but only Turkey rec- ister Mevlut Cavusoglu both communities.”
Nicos Anastasiades, and can finally bridge the final ognizes it and keeps 35,000 and late Friday afternoon He said the secretary-gen-
breakaway Turkish Cypriot gaps.” troops there. While the is- with Greek Foreign Minister eral also “expressed hope
leader Mustafa Akinci start- The island was split into a land joined the European Nikos Kotzias. that all parties would dem-
ing Jan. 9 to try to reach a Greek Cypriot south and a Union in 2004, only the in- Kotzias called it a “very onstrate the necessary cre-
settlement. Turkish Cypriot north in 1974 ternationally recognized nice” meeting but refused ativity in seeking innovative
“We’re at a very decisive when Turkey invaded after Greek-speaking south en- to comment on the Cyprus solutions.”
phase in the Cyprus peace a coup by Cypriot support- joys full membership ben- talks. The two sides have been
talks,” Dujarric said. “At this ers of union with Greece. efits. Dujarric said Guterres “ex- trying to strike an accord
point it’s really about being Turkish Cypriots declared Guterres met Thursday pressed his appreciation for for decades, with U.N. sup-
supportive of the process an independent state in with Turkey’s Foreign Min- Greece’s continued sup- port.