China says it will make adjustments to the catalogue of drug-related precursor chemicals and will require licences for export of certain chemicals to the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The country’s Commerce Ministry made the announcement on Monday. The move follows U.S. President Donald Trump halving the tariffs on Chinese goods that were imposed as a punishment over the flow of fentanyl to 10%. This change came after President Trump met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea 30 October.
Xi will work "very hard to stop the flow" of fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid that is the leading cause of American overdose deaths, Trump told reporters after the talks.
The deal signalled a shift for Trump officials, who had insisted that punitive measures would remain in place until China proved it was cracking down on fentanyl supply chains.
Chinese officials vehemently defend their record on fentanyl, saying they have already taken extensive action to regulate precursor chemicals used to make the drug and accuse Washington of using the issue as "blackmail."
Meeting in South Korea
The Xi-Trump deal went beyond fentanyl and included the resumption of U.S. soybean purchases by China.
Beijing agreed to pause export curbs unveiled in October on rare earths, elements with vital roles in many modern technologies.
FBI in Beijing
Meanwhile, the Federation Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel visited China last week to discuss fentanyl and law enforcement issues according to two people familiar with his trip said.
A person briefed on Patel's trip said the FBI director flew into Beijing on Friday and stayed for about a day. He held talks with Chinese officials on Saturday, the person added.
Patel's visit to Beijing was not officially announced by either the U.S. or China and is being reported by Reuters for the first time.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday that he was not aware of the trip. China's Ministry of Public Security and the U.S. embassy in Beijing did not respond to requests for comment.
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Web Summit Qatar 2026 opened in Doha on Sunday, drawing tens of thousands of founders, investors, policymakers and technology leaders to what organisers describe as one of the region’s largest digital economy gatherings.
The Kremlin has confirmed that the next round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States will be held in Abu Dhabi on 4–5 February, after the meeting was postponed last week to align the schedules of all delegations.
Kazakhstan’s Reform Commission has published a draft of a new Constitution that would mark the most extensive revision of the country’s law since independence, including an absolute ban on the death penalty and more rights and freedoms for citizens.
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of authorising intelligence operations aimed at eliminating “undesirable leaders” in Africa, claiming that Paris is pursuing a political comeback after losing ground in several former colonies.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has begun negotiations with European leaders over Greenland and that an agreement is already taking shape.
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
Dmitry Medvedev, said European countries have failed to defeat Russia in Ukraine and have instead inflicted serious economic damage on themselves, as he criticised EU policy, praised Donald Trump as a leader who seeks peace, and said Russia would “soon” achieve military victory in the war.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any U.S. military attack on Iran would spark a wider regional conflict, Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.
U.S. president Donald Trump said Iran is “seriously talking” with the United States and expressed hope that negotiations could lead to an outcome acceptable to Washington.
The Kremlin has confirmed that the next round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States will be held in Abu Dhabi on 4–5 February, after the meeting was postponed last week to align the schedules of all delegations.
Hungary has vowed legal action against the European Union over a planned ban on Russian gas imports by 2027, after Brussels said national objections would not override EU law.
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of authorising intelligence operations aimed at eliminating “undesirable leaders” in Africa, claiming that Paris is pursuing a political comeback after losing ground in several former colonies.
Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar are trying to organise a meeting in Ankara between White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and top Iranian officials, according to reports in the U.S. and Turkish media.
German authorities have arrested five people suspected of running a criminal network to circumvent European Union sanctions by exporting goods to at least 24 sanctioned Russian defence companies, the federal prosecutor’s office said on Monday.
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