Press Releases: State Department and Chinese Officials Discuss Synthetic Opioids on Sidelines of Mexico Conference

Office of the Spokesperson

Washington, DC

December 5, 2017

Earlier today, on the sidelines of a global conference on substance use in Mexico, State Department and Chinese officials met to discuss challenges posed by synthetic opioids. The bilateral meeting took place following a recent fruitful discussion on counternarcotics between Presidents Trump and Xi in Beijing last month.

Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary James Walsh of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) conducted the meeting with officials from China’s National Narcotics Control Commission. The U.S. and Chinese officials are in Mexico, along with representatives from more than 65 other nations, to participate in the annual workshop of the International Society of Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Professionals (ISSUP).

During the U.S.-China bilateral meeting, both sides discussed stemming the flow of synthetic opioids and opportunities for exchanges on drug demand reduction; highlighted the strengthening of drug control efforts as an important priority for their respective governments; and agreed that the recent Beijing meeting between Presidents Trump and Xi provided a good opportunity to strengthen our counternarcotics cooperation.

For more information, please contact INL-PAPD@state.gov or follow INL on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/StateINL and Twitter via @StateINL.

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