The Biden administration is poised to remove restrictions on China’s Institute of Forensic Science, aiming to enhance collaboration with Beijing to curb the influx of synthetic opioid fentanyl into the United States. Washington has prioritized blocking “precursor” chemicals of fentanyl as overdose deaths involving the drug more than tripled from 2016 through 2021, as reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
President Joe Biden will address this issue with China’s President Xi Jinping on Wednesday in San Francisco during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated on Tuesday that the U.S. anticipates the summit leading to concrete actions against the fentanyl trade. A source familiar with the plans revealed that the U.S. is prepared to lift restrictions on the Institute of Forensic Science, which operates under China’s Ministry of Public Security.
In 2020, Washington placed the institute on the Commerce Department’s “entity list” due to alleged abuses toward Uyghurs and other minority groups, effectively restricting it from receiving U.S. exports. China has questioned the U.S. approach, targeting the institute while expecting cooperation on fentanyl. As President Biden engages with President Xi, the U.S. is signaling a willingness to facilitate collaboration on the fentanyl crisis.
China’s embassy in Washington has not provided an immediate response to requests for comments on the fentanyl issue. Fentanyl, significantly more potent than heroin, is increasingly mixed with other illicit drugs, often resulting in lethal consequences. The U.S. witnessed drug-related overdose deaths surpassing 100,000 in 2021, according to government estimates.
