Daines, a senator for Montana, said on X earlier this week that he would be talking with Chinese officials about curbing the production and distribution of fentanyl and “the need to reduce the trade deficit and ensure fair market access for our Montana farmers, ranchers and producers”.
Just months into Trump’s second term, tensions between the world’s two largest economies have risen after the US imposed 20 per cent duties on Chinese goods and drew retaliatory tariffs of 15 per cent on US farm goods from China.
Additionally, the US accuses China of doing too little to stop the export of precursor materials for fentanyl, a highly potent opiate blamed for tens of thousands of deaths in the US.
In response, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi earlier this month accused Washington of “meeting good with evil” and said China will continue to retaliate against the United States’ “arbitrary tariffs.”
Beijing also responded with a report detailing its efforts to control the illegal trade in fentanyl, specifically the ingredients for the opioid that are made in China.
The report said that China and the US have held multiple high-level meetings since early last year to promote cooperation, and that its Narcotics Control Bureau holds regular exchanges with the US Drug Enforcement Agency.
China is committed to cooperation, the report said, “but firmly opposes the US imposition of unlawful sanctions and unreasonable pressure on China on the pretext of responding to fentanyl-related issues”.
Daines arrived in Beijing on Thursday and exchanged views with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu on bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern on the second day. His trip to the Chinese capital followed a visit to Vietnam where he met top leaders.
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