Overview
- The Thursday meeting in South Korea will put fentanyl at the top of the agenda, with President Trump saying it will be his first question for Xi.
- Trump said he could reduce the 20% tariff on China if Beijing pledges meaningful cooperation to curb the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals.
- FBI Director Kash Patel reported seizures of 5,101 pounds of fentanyl powder and more than 2.1 million pounds of fentanyl pills in coordinated operations.
- Multiple reports say Patel plans to travel to China next month to discuss fentanyl as U.S. actions continue, including reported strikes on suspected smuggling vessels and an order sending the USS Gerald Ford toward SOUTHCOM support.
- NBC obtained rare access to a licensed Chinese fentanyl producer as Beijing touted strict controls, while a recent U.S. report accused Communist Party-linked entities of incentivizing precursor exports and CDC data counted over 48,000 synthetic-opioid deaths in 2024.