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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The United States has withdrawn all 12 of its B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford in Britain, just a week after several people were arrested over an alleged plot targeting the air base.
Australian counterterrorism authorities are examining the links of the co-pilot accused of attacking the captain and attempting to take control of a flydubai flight bound for Israel. Authorities in New Zealand have also said they are investigating reports the suspect had spent time in that country.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday called a snap election for 29 November in a bid to strengthen his mandate after a fragmented parliament rejected the government's key housing decrees last week amid widespread protests.
King Charles’ younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has launched legal action against Thames Valley Police over his arrest in connection with an investigation into documents allegedly passed to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Telegraph reported on Sunday.
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