Contact: Sunny Mindel/Jennifer Chait (212) 788-2958
Lin Ze Xu was born in China in 1785. On December 31, 1838 he was appointed by the Emperor as Imperial Commissioner with the mission to eradicate opium in China. The sale of opium by the East India Company had jumped from 40,000 pounds in 1729 to three and one-half million pounds in 1832. In this position he proceeded to confiscate 2,600,000 pounds of opium and supervised its destruction during a 23-day campaign beginning on June 3, 1839 in Humen, China. This action served to ignite the Opium War with Britain. Three years later, China had lost the war and Lin Ze Xu lost his title. However, through his efforts he became a symbol of moral resistance to the invasion of drugs wherever their source. Commissioner Lin Ze Xu's fight against narcotics during the Ching Dynasty earned him the distinction of becoming a national hero of China. He passed away in 1850.
In recognition of his efforts, The United Nations has declared June 26th, the anniversary of the day after the completion of the opium destruction, as International Anti-Narcotic Day. In honor of his untiring efforts to rid China of opium, it is fitting that East Broadway between Oliver Street and Catherine Street within Chatham Square in Chinatown, be named "Commissioner Lin Ze Xu Square."
For the reasons previously stated, I will now sign the bill.