On January 30, the United States and the People’s Republic of China launched their bilateral Counternarcotics Working Group – a critical mechanism going forward for coordinating bilateral efforts to counter the global manufacturing and trafficking of illicit synthetic drugs, including fentanyl. The U.S.-PRC Counternarcotics Working Group is a key outcome of President Biden’s and President Xi Jinping’s decision, announced at the Leaders’ Summit in Woodside, California in November 2023, to resume bilateral cooperation on counternarcotics.  By working to disrupt the flow of fentanyl this effort aims to save lives in the United States and around the world and halt the corruption and violence of drug traffickers.

The two sides emphasized the need to coordinate on law enforcement actions; address the misuse of precursor chemicals, pill presses, and related equipment to manufacture illicit drugs; target the illicit financing of transnational criminal organization networks; and engage in multilateral fora.  The delegations further discussed the importance of regular sharing of information to ensure a common understanding of the dynamic illicit threat posed by synthetic drugs. 

The delegation was led by Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Homeland Security Advisor Jennifer Daskal and included representatives from the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. 

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