A top Chinese official has been asking what the Trump administration wants Beijing to do about the chemicals used to make the deadly drug fentanyl, in a possible sign that the trade war between the world’s two largest economies is thawing.
Wang Xiaohong, China’s Minister of Public Security, has been making inquiries over the last few days, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
The outlet added that Wang could soon meet face-to-face with administration officials, either in the US or in a third country.
The report emerged hours after China’s commerce ministry said it was “evaluating” an offer to hold talks over President Trump’s tariffs, which have reached 145% on some goods.
“The US has recently taken the initiative on many occasions to convey information to China through relevant parties, saying it hopes to talk with China,” the statement said, adding that Beijing was “evaluating this”.
In February, Trump, 78, imposed an initial 10% tariff on Chinese goods, citing the “national emergency” of the fentanyl crisis, in a bid to get Beijing to crack down on the flow of so-called “precursor chemicals” from China to cartels in the West.
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