Last week, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and its U.S. payment processor agreed to pay $600 million to settle U.S. government allegations that they let merchants use their platforms to smuggle illegal pharmaceuticals and pill presses into the United States.

On December 15, the U.S. Treasury Department added one Chinese individual and several Chinese companies to a designated list on the basis of their involvement in illicit drug trade. The designated persons and related personnel would be subject to sanctions, including blocking assets and denial of entrance into the