Tuesday’s bipartisan vote came as the US and China weigh a deal on fentanyl. According to The Wall Street Journal, the White House is considering lifting sanctions on a Chinese police forensics institute to secure Beijing’s cooperation on counter-narcotics.
The two sides had revived drug control talks ahead of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to China in June, where Blinken raised synthetic opioids as a “priority”. During the visit, creating a working group for the issue was discussed.
But since then, Beijing had hit back at US efforts to prosecute and sanction Chinese individuals and manufacturers allegedly involved in trafficking fentanyl precursors. Nor has it accepted Washington’s invitation to join a US-led global coalition to address the threat of synthetic drug, which began this month.
China had been considered the main source of fentanyl entering the US until 2019, when Beijing imposed stricter export controls at Washington’s request.
Yet China remains the main source for key ingredients, according to US officials, with end-stage production capacity having largely moved to countries like Mexico, from where the finished product can be smuggled into the US.
The House also passed a bill on Tuesday directing the US State Department to report on China’s efforts to undermine Taiwan in international organisations.
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