US President Donald Trump has identified China, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and 19 other nations as major drug transit or major illicit drug producing countries, warning that their activities threaten the safety of the United States.In a Presidential Determination submitted to Congress on Monday, Trump listed these countries as sources or routes for illicit drugs entering the United States. According to the White House, Trump delivered the “Major’s List” to Congress, designating these countries as responsible for sourcing and transporting illicit drugs into the US, reported PTI.

The state department clarified that inclusion on the list does not necessarily reflect a government’s cooperation or counternarcotics work. It said the designation is based on “the combination of geographic, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs or precursor chemicals to be transited or produced, even if a government has engaged in robust and diligent narcotics control and law enforcement measures.”

According to the White House, these countries are either sources of illicit drug production or serve as major transit points for trafficking into the US.

Nations that ‘failed demonstrably’

The state department said five countries – Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela – have “failed demonstrably to make substantial efforts” to meet international counternarcotics obligations.It also clarified that inclusion on the list “does not necessarily reflect a government’s counterdrug efforts or level of cooperation with the United States,” but is based on geographic and economic factors that enable drug flows.

Trump singled out China as the “world’s largest source” of precursor chemicals used in illicit fentanyl production. He said China is also a major supplier of synthetic narcotics including nitazenes and methamphetamine.“The Chinese leadership can and must take stronger and sustained action to cut down these chemical flows and prosecute the drug criminals facilitating them,” Trump said.

On Afghanistan, Trump said the Taliban’s announced ban on drugs has not stopped ongoing production and stockpiles of narcotics.“Revenue from this drug trade funds transnational criminal groups and supports international terrorists. Some members of the Taliban continue to profit from this trade, and I am once again designating Afghanistan as having failed demonstrably to uphold its drug control obligations,” he said.Trump added that trafficking of fentanyl and other deadly illicit drugs has created a national emergency. “Transnational organised crime’s trafficking of fentanyl and other deadly illicit drugs into the US has created a national emergency, including a public health crisis that remains the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 44,” he said, as quoted by PTI.