U.S. and China Commit to Joint Effort on Fentanyl Crisis

High-level talks focus on information sharing, law enforcement cooperation, and control of precursor chemicals.

U.S. and Chinese officials have committed to working together to stem the flow of fentanyl into the United States, marking the first formal high-level talks the two global powers had held on the issue in years.
The U.S. seeks more information sharing, law enforcement cooperation, and control of Chinese-made chemicals used in fentanyl production.
China has issued a notice to domestic companies warning them against illicit sales of precursor chemicals and imposing new enforcement measures, but U.S. officials say there is much more that can be done.
Fentanyl, an extremely lethal synthetic opioid, is at the center of a drug crisis that has devastated communities across the United States, with the majority of overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids being fentanyl-related.
The resumption of U.S.-China counternarcotics cooperation was one of the outcomes of the November meeting in California between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping.