China may help the US fight the deadly fentanyl epidemic to get a seat at the trade negotiation table
WSJ reports that China is eyeing potential assistance in cracking down on the fentanyl trade in North America as a possible pretext for starting China-U.S. trade negotiations. Fentanyl overdoses take the lives of dozens of thousands of people in the U.S. and Canada annually. China is a key player in the North American fentanyl market.
According to unnamed sources cited by The Wall Street Journal, China may propose cooperation on the fentanyl crisis as an “off-ramp from hostilities” to foster dialogue with the Trum administration. Potentially, China has a resource to tackle the North American fentanyl problem as its role in this crisis and market is essential.Reportedly, Chinese chemical companies export fentanyl precursors and provide consultations to Americans wishing to synthesize the drug on online forums.
China may hope for dialogue as the role of fentanyl was explicitly cited by Donald Trump when he motivated imposing the harshest tariffs on China, the only country not granted a 90-day tariff pause. The dialogue between China and the U.S. is not impossible, as recently Trump himself said, “it’s a natural thing to ask,” referring to asking China to assist in solving the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.