China, US deepen anti-narcotics cooperation after leaders' Busan meeting

Narcotics control authorities in China and the United States have been carrying out the consensus reached by the two heads of state at their Busan meeting in South Korea, advancing joint anti-drug efforts and achieving notable results, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Public Security said on Friday.

According to the ministry, the two sides have jointly investigated multiple cases, and their interagency counternarcotics teams have maintained close communication. The teams recently held a video conference to exchange progress and discuss priority areas for future cooperation.

The Public Security Ministry spokesperson said China will work with the United States on the basis of equality and mutual respect to address prominent global drug-related challenges.

At a national video conference on narcotics control on Wednesday, Wang Xiaohong, a State Councilor and head of the national anti-drug committee, called for rigorous enforcement of international verification and export-control measures, as well as stronger cross-regional and cross-border collaboration.

From Oct 25 to 26, China-US economic and trade teams held two-day consultations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital, and reached basic consensus on addressing each side's major current concerns — laying the groundwork for the Oct 30 meeting between the two leaders.

After the meeting concluded, a Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said the teams had achieved a series of outcomes and consensus in Kuala Lumpur. The two sides also reached agreements on issues such as fentanyl-related cooperation, expanding agricultural trade and handling enterprise-specific cases.

China has expanded anti-narcotics cooperation with the United States in recent years. A China-US counternarcotics working group was established in January last year, followed by its first meeting and the 10th China-US drug intelligence exchange conference.

In February 2025, Chinese anti-drug authorities and the China Coast Guard launched a law enforcement operation in the South China Sea based on intelligence provided by the US Drug Enforcement Administration. The operation led to the capture of seven criminal suspects and the seizure of more than 4,900 kilograms of methamphetamine near Huangyan Island.