China offers US olive branch with fentanyl raids ahead of possible Trump visit

2026.03.20 12:50 China is a major source of the chemicals used to make fentanyl. Photo: Reuters China this week announced a major crackdown on fentanyl precursors, a move widely seen as a gesture of goodwill ahead of President Donald Trump’s planned visit. But analysts warned that while this may address one major US grievance, it remained to be seen whether the United States would reciprocate and help the two sides move on to tackling other serious disputes, such as tariffs. The crackdown in the central province of Hubei started in December and included a raid on a company in the provincial capital Wuhan following a tip-off from the US anti-drug authorities, who suspected the firm was selling precursor chemicals and stimulants. The investigation is targeting the whole supply chain from production to export, state media reported. As of last month, a dedicated task force was investigating 22 cases while seven people had been arrested and another 12 detained pending criminal investigation. Four companies have received administrative penalties, while internet regulators have shut down more than 200 non-compliant company websites and removed over 400 illegal posts. China is the primary global source of precursor chemicals used by drug cartels in countries such as Mexico to manufacture illicit fentanyl. The issue has been a major concern for the US in its dealings with China, but cooperation between the two sides has been patchy since Trump’s first term of office and often dependent on the broader state of relations between the two countries. Analysts said the announcement ahead of Trump’s visit – initially planned to start at the end of the month but now delayed for several weeks as the US leader focuses on his war with Iran – was an effort to ease tensions before his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping. Pang Zhongying, a professor of international relations at Sichuan University, said both sides needed tangible outcomes ahead of the summit. But he warned tar

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