U.S. and China Form Counternarcotics Working Group to Combat Fentanyl Crisis

The initiative aims to address the global narcotics issue, with a focus on the production and trafficking of fentanyl.

The Biden administration has established a working group with the Chinese Communist Party to tackle the global narcotics and fentanyl crisis.
Multiple U.S. government departments will collaborate with Beijing to counteract the production and trafficking of narcotics, especially fentanyl.
China is primarily responsible for shipping fentanyl precursors to Mexico, where they are processed and trafficked into the U.S.
The working group is part of broader efforts to combat synthetic drug threats and will facilitate bilateral communication and law enforcement coordination.
Fentanyl, a highly addictive substance 100 times more potent than morphine, has resulted in over 105,000 deaths in the U.S. between February 2022 and January 2023.