China Issues Fentanyl Sentencing Guidelines Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

China's top judicial and public security authorities have issued new guidelines for handling criminal cases involving fentanyl-related substances, a move that comes a day before President Xi Jinping is expected to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington for their second summit this year.

The guidelines, released jointly by the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security, are intended to ensure proper law enforcement and to clarify the quantitative criteria used for conviction and sentencing. They also divide fentanyl-related substances into medicinal and non-pharmaceutical categories.

Under the new framework, authorities will investigate smuggling, trafficking, transportation, manufacturing and illegal possession, as well as the use of the internet to commit related offences.

The Trump administration has repeatedly pressed Beijing to do more to curb the flow of precursor chemicals used to synthesise fentanyl into the United States.

Separately, China on Tuesday added two chemicals to its export control list for drug precursor chemicals, requiring permits for exports to the United States, Mexico and Canada.