China, US resume talks on fentanyl
China and the United States will meet on Tuesday in Beijing to resume stalled talks on stemming the production of ingredients for the drug fentanyl. The synthetic opioid, many times more powerful than heroin, has caused an epidemic of addiction in the US, with 100,000 overdose deaths a year, making it the leading cause of death of people aged 18 to 49, US officials have said. Washington hopes to get China to cooperate on tackling companies that manufacture the precursor chemicals to make fentanyl and on cutting financing for the trade. Tuesday's meeting will include high-level US officials from the State Department, Treasury, Department of Homeland Security and Justice Department, Washington has said. The US says it will "provide a platform to facilitate ongoing coordination designed to tackle the illicit production, financing, and distribution of illicit drugs". President Xi Jinping pledged during a summit with US President Joe Biden in November to clamp down on the trade. (AFP)