US, China high on fentanyl action plan, to combat global drug trafficking

US President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping have reached an agreement to combat global illicit drug manufacturing and trafficking including synthetic drugs fentanyl and establishment of a working group for ongoing communication and law enforcement coordination on counternarcotics issues. Both the leaders reached expected agreements to curb illicit fentanyl production and to reopen military ties, Biden said. Many of the chemicals used to make synthetic fentanyl come from China to cartels that traffic the powerful narcotic into the U.S., which is facing an overdose crisis. Xi agreed to help curb the production of the illicit fentanyl which is a deadly component of drugs sold in the United States. A senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private meeting, said the shift will be a setback for Latin American drug dealers. “It’s going to save lives, and I appreciated President Xi’s commitment on this issue," Biden said at a press conference after his meeting. “The two leaders made progress on a number of key issues. They welcomed the resumption of bilateral cooperation to combat global illicit drug manufacturing and trafficking, including synthetic drugs like fentanyl, and establishment of a working group for ongoing communication and law enforcement coordination on counternarcotics issues,” the White House said in a statement. President Biden stressed that this new step will advance the U.S. whole-of-government effort to counter the evolving threat of illicit synthetic drugs and to reduce the diversion of precursor chemicals and pill presses to drug cartels, it said. The U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that the rate of fentanyl overdose deaths more than tripled between 2016 and 2021, making blocking fentanyl “precursor” chemicals a top priority for Washington. Fentanyl is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and is increasingly mixed with other illicit drugs, often with lethal results. The number of drug-related overdose deaths in the United States exceeded 100,000 in 2021, based on official estimates. With inputs from AP.