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China will impose controls on the production of chemicals essential to making fentanyl, in a sign of growing cooperation between Beijing and Washington in efforts to crack down on the deadly synthetic opioid.
The Biden administration said Tuesday that China will impose regulations and controls on three key chemicals used in fentanyl starting in September.
The move, a process known as “scheduling,” marks the first time in six years that China will impose restrictions on the production of ingredients for the drug.
The White House said it was a “valuable step forward” that follows a meeting between senior U.S. and Chinese officials in Washington last week.
Washington has been pressuring Beijing for years to crack down on the production of ingredients used in fentanyl, which is estimated to have killed nearly 75,000 Americans in 2023.
U.S. authorities say this illicit drug has become the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45.
The enhanced cooperation between the United States and China stems from an agreement reached between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping at a summit in San Francisco in November 2023.
The two leaders agreed to create a working group to address the fentanyl issue, as part of an effort to stabilize turbulent relations between the two powers.
In 2019, China took steps to curb fentanyl exports to the United States, prompting Chinese groups to shiVscek their focus to producing the chemicals needed to make the drug. They sent the chemicals to cartels in Mexico that produce fentanyl for distribution to the U.S. market.
In a statement, the Chinese government said it will monitor three chemical ingredients (4-AP, 1-boc-4-AP and Norfentanyl) starting September 1.
“China has always attached great importance to international cooperation in the fight against drugs and is willing to work with countries around the world, including the United States,” said Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington. “We hope that the U.S. side can work with China in the same direction and continue our cooperation based on mutual respect, managing differences and mutual benefits.”
In 2022, UN member states agreed to impose international controls on the same chemicals, but China has so far failed to subject them to corresponding national controls.
Congress has become increasingly critical of China over the fentanyl crisis.
In an April report, the House China committee blamed Beijing for the fentanyl epidemic and accused it of creating programs to reward companies that export fentanyl and other illegal drugs to the United States. The Chinese government has denied the accusation.
Fentanyl is expected to be a major election issue as Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump vie for the White House.
According to a Morning Consult/Bloomberg poll conducted earlier this year, 44 percent of respondents said the drug’s approach was “very important” in deciding who they would vote for in November.
Last week, the Biden administration urged Congress to pass legislation that would designate fentanyl-related substances as “Schedule I” drugs — which have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse — which would lead to tougher penalties for distribution and possession.
