Mexico manufactures the synthetic drugs that its cartels smuggle across the border. Communist China produces the narcotics’ precursors. Now, the leaders of both countries are uniting in indignant protest, denying any responsibility for America’s deadly fentanyl crisis. 

Beijing’s foreign ministry vehemently denied that fentanyl is trafficked from Communist China and Mexico. Last week, President Lopez Obrador made public a letter he wrote to Chairman Xi in which he asked for help in managing fentanyl shipments to Mexico from Asia, amid America’s “rude threats.” 

Communist China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning, said last week that Beijing and Mexico have a “smooth channel of counternarcotics cooperation.” Competent authorities of both countries maintain “sound communication,” she said, adding, “China has not been notified by Mexico of the seizure of scheduled fentanyl precursors from China.”

Ms. Ning also said that the cause of the fentanyl crisis in America “lies in the U.S. itself.” America “needs to face up to its own problems, take more substantial measures to strengthen domestic regulation, and reduce demand,” Ms. Ning said. 

Last month Mr. Lopez Obrador sent a letter to Chairman Xi, writing to his “friend” that Mexico is helping America combat trafficking of fentanyl “that is affecting their people.” The letter was laced with anger at America, complaining he is “falsely and irresponsibly” threatened by Washington officials over the trafficking of fentanyl.

“Such statements are in themselves disrespectful and an unacceptable threat to our country,” Mr. Lopez Obrador, known as AMLO, wrote. He publicly read his letter to Mr. Xi during a press conference last week. Behind the American accusations “is an absurd, manipulative, and propagandist attitude that takes advantage of the lack of information on this and other issues among America’s population,” the letter says. 

In response, Ms. Ning said that Beijing supports Mexico’s defense of its independence and opposes “foreign interference.” The Communist regime “calls on relevant countries to stop hegemonic practices against Mexico,” she said.  

Sharing communication between heads of state with the public — as AMLO did last week in his press conference — is uncommon “unless the goal is to ambush,” a former Mexican ambassador to Washington, Arturo Sarukhan, said. He noted that 60 percent of America’s fentanyl enters through the Mexican-American border.

Mr. Lopez Obrador often uses his daily press conferences to attack America over the fentanyl crisis. As Washington blames Mexico for the increase in fentanyl trafficking at the southern border, AMLO is reiterating his contention that the root of the crisis is a deficit of “hugs and embraces” in American families. 

Mexican cartels traffic the synthetic opioid that causes around 70,000 overdose deaths annually in America, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. 

AMLO reiterated to Mr. Xi that fentanyl is not produced in Mexico, despite American reports showing that most of the illegal substance comes from clandestine labs in Mexico with Chinese precursor chemicals. In the letter, he acknowledged that his administration had found and destroyed over a thousand clandestine labs and seized seven tons of fentanyl last year.

“I reiterate that our country does not produce fentanyl and that only 30 percent of what’s consumed in America enters through our border,” AMLO said.