SAEDNEWS: A lethal opioid at the center of a global crisis is fueling a new era of hostility between the world’s two largest economies, complicating trade diplomacy and threatening to upend efforts at bilateral cooperation.
According to Saed News, since U.S. President Donald Trump—just days into his second term—reimposed sweeping tariffs on China over its role in the flow of deadly opioids like fentanyl into the United States, Beijing has made one message unmistakably clear.
Chinese officials have repeatedly emphasized that the fentanyl crisis is “an American problem” and that China has already done “tremendous work” to address it.
“We are prepared to engage in practical cooperation with the U.S. based on equality and mutual respect. However, we firmly oppose any pressure, threats, or blackmail by the United States over the fentanyl issue,” a Chinese spokesperson said in March, after Trump raised the fentanyl-linked tariffs to 20% on all Chinese imports.
Yet despite the tariffs remaining in place for months—while other duties saw temporary ceasefires—Beijing has signaled it is paying attention and may be ready to go further.
Late last month, China announced it would add two additional fentanyl precursor chemicals to its list of controlled substances—an effort Chinese diplomats described as a sign of “active participation” in global narcotics control and compliance with international regulations.
Days earlier, Chinese authorities expanded surveillance of a class of drugs called nitazenes—powerful synthetic opioids that have alarmed global health officials. On that same day, China’s Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong told U.S. Ambassador David Perdue that Beijing was ready to deepen “practical cooperation” on drug control.
The Trump administration has blamed China for “sustaining” the fentanyl pipeline to the U.S.—a laboratory-made synthetic compound dozens of times stronger than heroin. The misuse of fentanyl and its derivatives has sharply worsened America’s overdose crisis, claiming tens of thousands of lives annually—although fatality rates dropped significantly last year.
From Beijing’s perspective, it has gone above and beyond international obligations to stem the outflow of fentanyl and its components from its vast pharmaceutical industry. In 2019, China placed fentanyl as a class under control—a pivotal move that American experts and officials credit with sharply curbing the direct export of Chinese-made fentanyl to the U.S.
However, criminal networks quickly adapted. Chinese firms began supplying precursor chemicals to labs in Mexico that collaborate with drug cartels—who then manufacture illegal fentanyl and ship it to the U.S. Chinese authorities have since brought some of those precursors under control, but American officials say more must be done. China remains the world’s largest source of precursor chemicals for fentanyl production in Mexico and beyond.
While Chinese authorities have not explicitly linked their recent steps to U.S. trade tensions, they’ve framed the moves as gestures of “goodwill”—firmly rejecting the legitimacy of America’s tariff threats.
Still, Beijing likely expects recognition from Washington for these efforts during trade negotiations. But whether these gestures will truly influence U.S. policy—and whether the two nations can cooperate amid broader tensions—remains uncertain.
“If Washington doesn’t publicly acknowledge China’s steps or respond to its concerns, future law enforcement cooperation may be undermined,” said Ryan Hass, director of the John L. Thornton China Center at the Brookings Institution.
While U.S.-China ties are strained over issues like technology and military activities in the South China Sea, no subject may feel more personal to U.S. leaders than China's role in fueling the opioid epidemic.
In his first term, Trump praised Chinese President Xi Jinping’s move to regulate fentanyl as a “humane and terrific gesture.”
But roughly six years later, as his second term began, Trump accused China of “actively supporting and expanding the trade in poisoning our citizens”—a charge China strongly denies.
This accusation also contradicts the findings of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). In its May annual report, the DEA noted a drop in fentanyl purity throughout 2024—suggesting that Mexican producers have struggled to access precursors. It also highlighted that some China-based suppliers have become more hesitant to export such materials, indicating growing awareness of China’s tighter enforcement.
Experts agree that China’s recent regulation of two additional fentanyl precursors and nitazenes is a welcome move that could disrupt illicit drug supply chains.
But Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at Brookings’ Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, calls it a “savvy maneuver” by Beijing.
Under the UN drug control conventions, the two fentanyl precursors were placed under international control last year—binding signatories like China to compliance. Felbab-Brown points out that China had already begun regulating certain nitazenes in 2024, and the recent additions had been in the pipeline since autumn.
“The Trump administration simply rolled back the clock—ignoring previous Chinese actions and promises, giving them no credit,” she said. “Now, China can repackage the same steps it promised the Biden administration as bargaining chips.”
She added, “A more effective approach would have been to welcome China’s 2024 efforts and then press for closing significant gaps in their enforcement regime.”
Beijing has vigorously defended its record on regulating fentanyl and other synthetic drugs. In March, shortly after Trump’s new round of fentanyl-linked tariffs, China issued a 7,000-word white paper detailing its anti-narcotics efforts.
It also strongly condemned a U.S. congressional report released last year accusing the ruling Communist Party of subsidizing fentanyl production and export through tax rebates.
According to official statistics, opioid abuse in China—where the government exerts tight control over society—is relatively limited. Beijing uses this to argue that the crisis stems from high American demand, not Chinese supply.
This has led Chinese officials to feel they’ve overextended themselves in cooperating with Washington on what they view as a domestic U.S. issue—efforts they believe were met first with indifference, then with punishment in the form of tariffs.
Chinese scientists at the forefront of identifying new precursors used by trafficking groups also say reducing demand in the U.S. is critical—because fully controlling the chemicals involved is next to impossible.
“You really can’t solve fentanyl just by control... the key issue is still demand reduction,” said Hua Xendong, deputy head of the Narcotics Control Laboratory under China’s Ministry of Public Security, in a September CNN interview.
Hua noted that many of the chemicals involved have legitimate uses in manufacturing, making regulation practically difficult. Meanwhile, fentanyl-producing compounds can easily be tweaked to dodge laws, while producing the same end result.
“It’s always a cat-and-mouse game,” he said. “There are thousands of potential fentanyl precursors—we can’t control them all in advance. We can only react passively.”
At the time, Hua’s lab was regularly collaborating with U.S. counterparts to share information about emerging synthetic substances.
Foreign observers also agree that U.S. efforts to reduce domestic demand are essential. They stress that even if China halted all exports, producers would pivot to other countries with large chemical industries, like India.
Given the immense scale of China’s chemical and pharmaceutical industry—and the ease with which goods are covertly shipped—experts argue Beijing can still do more.
This includes tightening regulations to impose stiffer penalties on those who unknowingly sell controlled precursors to criminal groups or their intermediaries. Experts also cite a gap between central government policy and local enforcement.
“Listing drugs and precursors is only one of the steps needed,” said David Luckey, a senior international and defense researcher at RAND. “What’s more effective would be preventing Chinese companies from selling harmful chemicals to criminal organizations in Mexico.”
Trump has also slapped tariffs on Mexico and Canada earlier this year, accusing them of failing to curb fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration—though exemptions were granted for many sectors. Washington also designated Mexican cartels suspected of fentanyl smuggling as “foreign terrorist organizations.”
“China has a command economy and exerts intense control over its population,” Luckey added. “If the Communist Party truly didn’t want Chinese firms involved, it could act far more effectively to shut it down.”
A March report from the U.S. State Department acknowledged “significant steps” by China over the past year to stem precursor exports. These included cracking down on online sellers, making arrests, and adding 55 synthetic drugs and precursors to its control lists.
Last month, China’s Ministry of Public Security announced it had seized over 1,400 tons of various chemical precursors and concluded 151 criminal cases in 2024.
Still, Chinese officials acknowledge the magnitude of the challenge. A recent report noted that trafficking channels and methods are “expanding” and “constantly evolving,” posing “growing challenges.”
Eager to present itself as a responsible global actor, Beijing is wary of being seen as a global drug peddler. But it continues to tie anti-narcotics cooperation with the U.S. to overall bilateral relations.
In August 2022, following then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, China completely suspended anti-drug cooperation with the U.S.—only resuming it after a cordial summit between Xi Jinping and former U.S. President Joe Biden in late 2023.
Now, angered by Trump’s immediate tariff hike, China claims such moves undermine joint efforts. The White House declined to comment when CNN asked about China’s latest drug control initiatives.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said last month, when asked whether the steps were coordinated with or requested by the U.S.:
“If America truly wants to cooperate with China, it must face objective realities, correct its mistakes, and seek dialogue.”
Still, Beijing understands that the current tariffs were imposed amid internal economic woes—and that an unpredictable Trump trade policy offers no guarantee they won’t increase further.
Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center in Washington, said:
“Since the 20% tariff is directly tied to fentanyl cooperation, the Chinese likely hope for a comprehensive deal—encompassing trade, drug control, and other matters.”
She added, “They hope the 20% tariff is lifted... and they’re keen for President Trump to visit China later this year, so they need to show meaningful progress.”
