By Laurie Chen and Antoni Slodkowski — November 10, 2025 10:37 AM UTC
BEIJING — Kash Patel, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), travelled to China last week for discussions on fentanyl and law-enforcement cooperation, according to two individuals familiar with the matter. The visit occurred shortly after a summit between the U.S. and Chinese leadership that emphasised a shared commitment on the issue.
One source said Patel arrived in Beijing on Friday and remained for roughly 24 hours, holding meetings with Chinese officials on Saturday. The trip was not publicly announced by either the U.S. or Chinese governments.
A spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, Lin Jian, said on Monday he was unaware of the visit. Representatives from China’s Ministry of Public Security and the U.S. Embassy in Beijing did not reply to Reuters’ requests for comment.
China to modify export list of precursor chemicals
China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Monday it will revise the catalogue of drug-precursor chemicals and impose licensing requirements for exports of certain substances to the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The anti-drug authority also said it will tighten supervision of production and export of chemicals not previously regulated to prevent diversion to illicit channels.
It warned that exporters shipping to “high-risk” destinations such as the U.S. may face criminal penalties under the revised regime.
Following last month’s talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, tariffs on Chinese goods imposed over fentanyl flows were cut to 10%. Trump said Xi had committed to working “very hard” to stop the flow of fentanyl — a synthetic opioid that is the leading cause of overdose deaths in the U.S.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated that a new bilateral working group would flesh out the details of the agreement, although it remains unclear whether Patel discussed that mechanism during his visit.
Shift in U.S. policy signals new approach
The deal marked a departure from the previous U.S. strategy, which had insisted on punitive measures until China proved it was dismantling fentanyl supply chains. Chinese officials responded by noting they had already taken substantial action to regulate precursor chemicals and accused Washington of using the issue for leverage. The Xi-Trump outcome also included China’s agreement to resume U.S. soybean purchases and a suspension of Chinese export curbs on rare-earth elements.
Reporting by Laurie Chen and Antoni Slodkowski in Beijing; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Neil Fullick.
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