A top Chinese government official is asking what the Trump administration wants the communist nation to do about chemicals used to make fentanyl amid an ongoing trade war between the world’s two largest economies.
Wang Xiaohong, China’s minister of public security, has been making inquiries about what Trump wants China to do about the fentanyl issue over the last few days, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
Chinese companies produce precursors, large quantities of chemicals that eventually flow to Mexican drug cartels, which then make fentanyl and smuggle it into the United States.
Beijing could possibly have Wang meet with senior Trump administration officials in a neutral country, the newspaper reported.
Trump has tried to persuade China, Mexico and Canada to do more to combat the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.
TRUMP SAYS TARIFFS ARE INCENTIVIZING US INVESTMENT, HURTING CHINA
“China has consistently failed to take meaningful steps to stem the flow of precursor chemicals to known illicit drug producers,” the White House told Fox News Digital. “Most governments could do so through regulation and enforcement – this is especially true for an authoritarian state like China.”
Upon taking office, Trump imposed 20% tariffs on China over its role in the fentanyl epidemic in the U.S., which kills tens of thousands of Americans every year.
Since then, Trump has increased tariffs on China to 145%, while Beijing has retaliated with 125% tariffs on American goods.