The United States has noted China's important actions to curb fentanyl, a senior official said after talks in Beijing, but acknowledged that misunderstandings between the two powers risk "derailing" progress, AFP reported.
In fulfillment of a commitment made during a summit between Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping in November, a US delegation held an inaugural meeting in China this week on the flow of fentanyl, a powerful painkiller at the heart of the US addiction epidemic.
"We recognized some initial steps by the PRC," said Todd Robinson, assistant secretary of state for narcotics and law enforcement, referring to the People's Republic of China.
"Is that significant? Absolutely," he said on his return to Washington, while adding that action is still not enough.
U.S. officials have long accused China of being involved in the trade in fentanyl, which is many times stronger than heroin and responsible for more than 70,000 overdose deaths a year in the United States.
China banned fentanyl exports in 2019, but U.S. officials say it is still the main source of chemical precursors to the synthetic opioid, which are then assembled by cartels in Mexico and then smuggled into the United States.
After Xi's promise to Biden at the California summit that China would act, "it's clear they've gone to certain companies and either warned them or shut them down," Robinson said.
He described the Chinese government's efforts as effective, saying that after the fentanyl export ban in 2019, "it stopped almost immediately."
Robinson described the mood during the talks as "very positive", with the Chinese hosts having lengthy conversations with the delegation, including at a banquet.
But he said the resumption of tensions between the United States and China was "absolutely on the radar" of the United States.
"It wouldn't be the first time if, you know, another balloon flew over the United States or X congressman decided to visit Taipei," he said, referring to last year's controversy over an alleged Chinese surveillance balloon and Beijing's objections to USA support for Taiwan.
The United States will see "how much we can get done in the shortest amount of time, always being aware that something could derail all of this." / BGNES
