Beijing hails US cooperation as ICE returns suspected drug smuggler to China

A drug smuggling suspect was returned to China by US ICE via cooperation channels between the two countries, Chinese state media says.

Photo: AP A Chinese fugitive suspected of drug-related crimes has been repatriated from the United States and handed to police in China, the first such case in years, according to state media.

The suspect was returned to China by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) via cooperation channels between the two countries, based on information provided by Chinese narcotics control authorities, state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday, citing the Ministry of Public Security.

The Chinese national, identified only by the surname Han, is suspected of drug smuggling and trafficking, although no further information was provided about the drugs Han is accused of smuggling. “This marks the first drug-related fugitive handed over by the US to China in recent years, signalling new progress in bilateral counternarcotics law enforcement cooperation,” Xinhua said, without specifying when the handover took place.

China does not have a formal extradition agreement with the US, although one is not strictly required for deportations.

In recent years, drug control has stood out as a rare field of progress in US-China cooperation amid tensions on other fronts.

The issue is especially important to the US, which has blamed the fentanyl crisis on China, where many of the drug’s precursor ingredients are produced and exported.

The repatriation announcement came ahead of US President Donald Trump’s planned visit to China in mid-May, a trip that was postponed several weeks because of the US-Israel war on Iran.

Beijing and Washington have made progress on drug control cooperation in recent months following an agreement on counternarcotics cooperation reached by the leaders of the two countries last year.

Trump agreed to halve fentanyl-related tariffs to 10 per cent, following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea at the end of October, in exchange for a renewed crackdown on fentanyl networks.

China’s Ministry of Public Security said in December that the two sides had worked on multiple cases together and maintained “close communication” on joint anti-drug efforts, including holding video conferences, exchanging progress updates and discussing major areas for future cooperation.

In late November, Chinese authorities intercepted 430kg (948lbs) of cocaine aided by tip-offs from the US.

The drugs were found inside

原文链接: 南华早报