Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs in the Biden Administration; Former Ambassador
With Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meeting in Seoul on October 30, recent headlines have focused on trade wars and TikTok. But a far more urgent question is missing from the pre-summit debate: Will President Trump use this moment to secure China’s commitment to end its role in the U.S. fentanyl crisis? Especially when fentanyl is killing tens of thousands of Americans each year?
Deals over trade and social media should not come at the expense of the one deal that would literally save American lives. Given that Chinese companies unlawfully supply drug cartels with the precursor chemicals used to manufacture illicit fentanyl, action is imperative.
In recent years, the United States built an unprecedented, two-pronged strategy to fight the opioid crisis — treating demand and supply as inseparable. From our roles in the government, we saw that this comprehensive approach delivered concrete results. Domestically, the previous administration expanded access to naloxone and recovery services, helping turn the tide of an epidemic that had once seemed unstoppable.
At the same time, we confronted the illicit financing and supply chains that fuel the drug trade, imposing sanctions on more than 300 individuals and entities involved in the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs. The White House pushed U.S. prosecutors to bring groundbreaking indictments against the Chinese chemical companies supplying precursor chemicals to Mexican cartels. For the first time, U.S. and Chinese law enforcement pursued coordinated actions against transnational criminal networks involved in the illicit fentanyl trade.
These efforts showed that progress is possible. According to recent CDC data, total U.S. drug overdose deaths have fallen to 73,690 from a peak of 111,451 — a nearly 34 percent decline and the steepest drop in overdose mortality since the opioid epidemic began. Preliminary 2024 data show an additional 46 percent decrease in fentanyl-related fatalities. The overdose numbers are still staggering, but the decline represents real advances from combining public-health investments with law enforcement and diplomatic pressure.
A critical element of these efforts was aggressive engagement with China. In November 2023, both countries agreed to reopen counternarcotics negotiations after years of silence. U.S. cabinet officials repeatedly pressured their counterparts and we held working-level discussions with China to curb the export of fentanyl precursors. In turn, Beijing issued public warnings to its chemical industry and threatened criminal penalties. China also joined the United States in voting at the United Nations to regulate additional precursor chemicals and placed new restrictions on more than 50 lethal compounds.
Those steps were imperfect, but they mattered. They showed that when both countries take action, lives can be saved.
Now, that progress is paused. U.S. and Chinese counternarcotics experts have not met this year. No new joint criminal cases have been announced. And the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cut funding for key prevention and treatment programs.
President Trump campaigned on stopping fentanyl, but hasn’t followed his own playbook. He imposed 20 percent tariffs on China over its role in the illicit fentanyl trade, but hasn’t leveraged this pressure to forge a deal that delivers results for the American people. And President Trump’s administration has not matched his rhetoric with results.
None of the press releases from Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s engagements with his Chinese counterpart reference discussions on fentanyl and there is no public record that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem or Attorney General Pam Bondi have met Chinese officials about anything, much less fentanyl. It appears that only Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is engaged. By letting counternarcotics cooperation slip to the margins of U.S.-China relations, the administration risks undoing the fragile gains from recent years.
The path forward is clear. Saving American lives must be on the table alongside trade and technology at the Trump-Xi summit.
President Trump should press China to place restrictions on precursor chemicals that remain unregulated and are easily converted into fentanyl. He can insist that Beijing crack down on the underground banking networks that launder drug profits and finally get serious about dismantling the online marketplaces that sell fentanyl precursors to transnational criminal groups.
Additionally, President Trump can pressure China to adopt “know-your-customer” rules for its chemical and shipping sectors and impose criminal penalties on Chinese companies for violations. And he can demand that counternarcotics experts and law enforcement restart regular meetings to advance policy actions and legal investigations.
President Trump often touts his close ties with President Xi. That rapport could now be used to broker a deal that saves tens of thousands of American lives. It would require the same transactional instinct he brings to trade negotiations, but applied to a far higher purpose.
The fentanyl crisis is not an abstract geopolitical challenge. It is a daily American tragedy, claiming lives in every county and community. Addressing it through sustained engagement with China is not just smart diplomacy; it is an act of moral leadership.
Brandon P. Yoder previously served as a deputy assistant secretary for international narcotics and law enforcement affairs in the Biden administration and a senior Democratic staff member for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Ambassador Todd D. Robinson previously served as U.S. ambassador to Guatemala and was assistant secretary for international narcotics and law enforcement affairs in the Biden administration.
