TNAG-1710-FCO40-2386-Royal-visits-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1987 — Page 108

Ann. B

- 4-

engaged in the manufacture,

sale and trafficking of narcotics

commits an offence and might be sentenced to life imprisonment

or even death. Under the Drug Administration Law 1984, the

import and export of narcotic drugs and psychotropic

substances were subject to a certificate system.

In response

to our query, Chen Yin-qing said that the Chinese policy in

handling drug addicts was to educate them first. If that did

not work, they would be fined and detained. It is worth

noting that, as requested by the Hong Kong Government,

China

has since December 1986 ceased producing methaqualone, a

depressant which is listed as a dangerous drug in Hong Kong

under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance and the abuse of which is

getting more and more serious among young people in Hong Kong.

Jiang said that the cessation in the manufacture of this drug

was in keeping with international opinion which suggested that

methaqualone had little medical use and had great potential to

be abused. Mr. Jiang then told us that with the setting up of

the Drug Dependence Research Centre (DDRC) in the Beijing

Medical University in 1984, the methods of testing

psychotropic substance have much improved.

7.

Jiang and Chen both claimed that there was no drug

abuse problem in China though they admitted that a small

number of villagers living near the Chinese-Burmese borders

were abusing opium and that occasionally,

found on foreign students.

cannabis could be

I suggested to Jiang that M.P.H.