This study analyses the practical consequences of China's implementation of preventive measures against drug trafficking for China and the world taken in the context of the South China territories, bordering the “Golden Triangle” zone, the biggest world supplier of drugs. This research covers the period from 2010 to the 2020s, during which the illegal drug trade thrived in the region, particularly with amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) as well as the emergence of new psychotropic substances (NPS). The implementation is based on the Criminal Code of the People’s Republic of China, and “Anti-Drug Law” regulations, which have been strengthened with various relevant normative acts. These have been examined as they evolved, from the initial steps taken by the Chinese authorities to control drug trafficking in the 1990s to the present. On the practical side, the Chinese strategy for drug control focuses on three main areas: preventing drug smuggling within the country, international cooperation, and societal efforts, including both drug treatment and rehabilitation, as well as mass anti-drug propaganda. As a result, authorities have implemented severe punishments for the violation of anti-drug laws and taken draconian measures to treat drug addicts, resulting in a decrease in drug-related crimes by the 2020s. As China has successfully reduced domestic drug abuse, its role in the global drug trade has shifted from being a transit and consumption country to becoming the world’s supplier of raw drug materials.
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