White House Labels China Major Source of Illicit Drug Precursor Chemicals
Quick Look
The White House has designated China as the world's largest producer of precursor chemicals for synthetic drugs, with Trump stating he raised the issue directly with Xi.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The White House released its annual list of designated major source or transit countries for illicit drugs affecting the US.
It also comes a week after security agencies from the two countries hailed progress in bilateral cooperation on counternarcotics law enforcement.
On Wednesday, while releasing the latest annual list of designated major source or transit countries for illicit drugs affecting the United States, the White House again labelled China “the world’s largest producer of many of the precursor chemicals used to illicitly produce fentanyl, methamphetamine and other deadly synthetic drugs”.
Trump said he had raised the issue “directly” with Xi, according to the annual presidential determination regarding the list submitted to the US Congress on Tuesday.
He noted that the Chinese government last year implemented new requirements for companies to obtain licences before exporting designated precursor chemicals to North America, while saying that the move was made at his request.
Open Questions
- How will the Chinese government respond to the designation?
