The talks on curbing the fentanyl trade come after years of souring in relations over issues including the coronavirus, human rights and Taiwan.
The United States and China have launched a joint counter-drug group to curb production and trade of the highly addictive opioid fentanyl, in the first sign of cooperation between the superpowers since bilateral relations soured.
The talks began Tuesday after a U.S. delegation led by Vice President for Homeland Security Jen Daskal arrived in Beijing for their first joint meeting.
At a November summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to step up cooperation on tackling companies that make precursor chemicals for fentanyl production and reducing trade funding.
Fentanyl is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin. The United States has said China is the main source of precursor chemicals that Mexican drug cartels synthesize into fentanyl. China denied the US claim.
The working group is seen as a positive development at a time when relations between the two countries have deteriorated over issues such as human rights, trade tariffs, COVID-19 and Taiwan.
“We had in-depth communication and were realistic. We reached a common understanding on the work plan of the working group,” Wang Xiaohong, Minister of Public Security of China, told the group.
“Synthetic drugs are killing thousands of people,” Daskal said, adding that the “important” White House delegation highlighted “the importance of this issue to the American people.” He emphasized that
More than 100,000 people will die from drug overdoses in the United States in 2022, including an estimated 82,998 opioid-related drug overdose deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). .
“Profits from cooperation”
Wang said the establishment of the Central America Working Group represented an “important common understanding” reached by the two presidents last year.
“Our cooperation shows once again that China-US relations gain from cooperation and lose from conflict,” he said through an interpreter.
He hoped that in future talks, the two sides would “take into account each other’s concerns to strengthen and expand cooperation to provide further positive energy for stable, healthy and sustainable Sino-US relations.” He added that there is.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) previously described China as the “primary source of all fentanyl-related substances smuggled into the United States.”
In October, the U.S. government imposed sanctions and began prosecuting dozens of Chinese companies and individuals for their involvement in the illegal fentanyl trade.
The Chinese government denies involvement in the deadly trade, touts a “zero tolerance” drug policy and claims the roots of the addiction crisis lie in the United States.