1. General Overview
Narcotics abuse and trafficking are not new developments in China. They have been part of China's history even prior to the Boxer Rebellion and the first British Opium War in the mid-1800s, as the People's Republic of China's (PRC) sheer size and geography has traditionally made it a likely victim of drug trafficking. (1) Today, largely because of China's increased trade and commercial interests with Southeast Asia, a loosening of travel restrictions within China, increased urbanization, longer work hours, and the gradual development of a more consumer-oriented society, the PRC has become a major transit point not only for narcotics bound for other ...