SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 15 — US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are expected to discuss the fight against drug smuggling into the United States at their meeting in California, the White House said on Tuesday, reported German news agency (dpa).
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said illicit drugs coming out of China would be on the list of things the two leaders will discuss in a planned Wednesday meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Week.
“We believe that there are areas where our interests overlap, like our efforts to combat the illicit fentanyl trade,” Sullivan said.
“We’re hoping to see some progress on that issue this coming week. And that could, then, open the door to further cooperation on other issues,” he added.
The US government accuses China of being a key contributor to the country’s drug epidemic through the production of fentanyl, which is being smuggled into the US in large volumes.
The synthetic opioid is 50 times stronger than heroin and has led to a devastating drug crisis in the country. According to the US government, the drug is now the leading cause of death nationwide for people between the ages of 18 and 49.
The number of people dying from fentanyl overdoses has exploded in recent years. US authorities point the finger at Beijing, claiming that a large proportion of the fentanyl or its components, which are smuggled into the US via Mexican cartels, originate from China.
Beijing has denied the accusations, claiming that China has the strictest drug policy in the world.
Should Biden be able to persuade Xi to make concessions on the issue, this would be particularly important for him on a domestic policy level, especially ahead of the US presidential election in a year’s time.
