Trump to Ask Xi About Fentanyl First Ahead of U.S.-China Summit

President Donald Trump of the United States announced that he will raise the issue of fentanyl as his top priority during the upcoming summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the 30th.

On the 23rd (local time), President Trump stated at a crime crackdown meeting held at the White House, "The very first question I will ask him (President Xi) is about the fentanyl issue."

Donald Trump, President of the United States. Photo by UPI News Agency

When asked whether there is evidence that China is smuggling fentanyl through Venezuela to avoid port inspections in the United States and Mexico, President Trump asserted, "China is doing that."

President Trump emphasized that precursor chemicals for fentanyl are produced in China and flow into the United States. He also expressed his position that if China eradicates fentanyl distribution, he would lower tariffs against China.

He said, "China is paying a 20% tariff because of fentanyl, which amounts to billions of dollars," adding, "Starting November 1, tariffs on China will rise to 157%, which is an all-time high. China cannot afford this, and we do not want such a situation." He continued, "They are making 100 million dollars from fentanyl, but they have to pay about 100 billion dollars in tariffs. So it seems they want to do something about it."

The previous day, President Trump commented on the U.S.-China summit, saying, "A fairly lengthy meeting is scheduled," and "We will reach agreements on everything." He noted that he maintains a very good relationship with President Xi and anticipated that issues such as the strengthening of China's rare earth export controls, U.S. soybean exports, and nuclear disarmament could be agreed upon. He also mentioned that discussions on ending the Russia-Ukraine war are planned.

On this day, the White House announced that President Trump will depart Washington, D.C. on the night of the 24th, travel through Malaysia and Japan, and arrive in Busan on the 29th (Korea Standard Time). President Trump will hold a South Korea-U.S. summit on the 29th, a U.S.-China summit on the 30th, and then return home in the evening.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.