As Xi and Trump are set to meet, Beijing says coordinated handoff signals ‘progress in bilateral counternarcotics law enforcement’
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenVanessa Caiin ShanghaiPublished: 4:00pm, 3 Apr 2026A Chinese fugitive suspected of drug-related crimes has been repatriated from the United States and handed to police in China, the first such case in years, state media said on Friday.
The suspect was returned to China by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) via cooperation channels between the two countries, based on information provided by Chinese narcotics control authorities, said Xinhua, citing the public security ministry.
The Chinese national, identified by the surname Han, is suspected of drug smuggling and trafficking, although no further information was provided about the drugs Han is accused of smuggling.
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Unravelling China’s role in the US fentanyl crisis“This marks the first drug-related fugitive handed over by the US to China in recent years, signalling new progress in bilateral counternarcotics law enforcement cooperation,” Xinhua said, without specifying when the handover took place.
China does not have a formal extradition agreement with the US, although one is not strictly required for deportations.
