U.S. Aims to Curb Fentanyl Spread in Talks with China at APEC Summit

The United States wants to discuss limiting the spread of fentanyl with China at the upcoming APEC summit. President Biden noted a 10% drop in U.S. deaths from fentanyl. Previous discussions between the two nations have focused on preventing the development of chemicals used to produce fentanyl.

The United States aims to discuss efforts to limit the spread of fentanyl with China during the APEC summit in November, a senior U.S. official revealed on Tuesday. This follows President Joe Biden's announcement in New York that new data indicates a 10% year-to-year decline in U.S. fentanyl-related deaths.

Last November, Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping also discussed fentanyl during a California summit. The U.S. is urging China to step up actions to curb the creation of chemicals that can be synthesized into fentanyl, which is the primary cause of drug overdoses in the United States.

When asked if fentanyl would be on the agenda at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru, the U.S. official expressed optimism, noting that initial results have already been seen through bilateral efforts.

(With inputs from agencies.)