Authorities in China’s Hubei province have intensified a crackdown on fentanyl trade—an issue that remains a major point of tension in relations with the United States—detaining seven individuals and shutting down more than 200 websites in recent months, according to state media reports released on Thursday.
The move comes shortly after US President Donald Trump announced he would delay a planned visit to China amid the ongoing Iran war. Trump has repeatedly used tariffs as leverage to push China to curb exports of fentanyl precursors, the chemical components used to produce the synthetic opioid responsible for tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the United States each year.
A provincial task force formed in December, established under directives from China’s Ministry of Public Security, to tackle fentanyl precursors, investigated 22 cases between then and February.
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In one case, intelligence shared by the US Drug Enforcement Administration helped authorities in Wuhan, the provincial capital, uncover a company allegedly involved in selling precursor chemicals along with stimulant substances. The individual controlling the firm was arrested in early December with assistance from police in Shandong.
In a separate case, two suspects were detained for allegedly setting up shell companies to facilitate the sale of drugs and chemical ingredients that could be used to manufacture narcotics overseas.
After taking office last year, Trump imposed an initial 10 per cent tariff on Chinese imports tied to the fentanyl issue, later increasing it to 20 per cent. Additional tariffs were introduced in April as part of a broader trade push.
Beijing responded with countermeasures, leading to a cycle of escalating tariffs. However, both sides later agreed to a one-year truce and to roll back fentanyl-specific tariffs to 10 per cent, following a meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea at the end of October.
Plans had been in place for a follow-up meeting in Beijing early next month, but Trump recently said the trip would be postponed. He indicated that discussions are ongoing to reschedule the visit, with a new timeline likely placing it in late April.
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