U.S. Returns Chinese Drug Fugitive In Rare Extradition, Xinhua Reports

Reuters

U.S. and China flags.

The United States has handed over a Chinese fugitive suspected of drug-related offences to China for the first time in recent years, according to state news agency Xinhua News Agency, which cited Chinese police.

The individual, identified only by the surname Han, is suspected of drug smuggling and trafficking. Xinhua said the suspect was repatriated to China by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, acting on information provided by China’s narcotics control authorities.

The move comes ahead of a planned visit to China by U.S. President Donald Trump, originally scheduled for the end of March but postponed to May due to the conflict in Iran.

President Trump has previously used tariffs to pressure China to crack down on the export of chemicals used in the production of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid responsible for a significant proportion of overdose deaths in the United States.

He agreed to reduce fentanyl-related tariffs following a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea in October, in exchange for Beijing’s pledge to intensify efforts against fentanyl trafficking networks.

Last month, Chinese state media reported that authorities had arrested seven individuals and imposed “criminal compulsory measures” on 12 others in an operation targeting fentanyl precursor traffickers. Washington, however, has said it is seeking concrete seizures and convictions rather than arrests alone.

Sources: Reuters, Xihnua



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