Ahead of Xi’s ‘historic milestone’ US visit, a fentanyl goodwill gesture from China

China’s top envoy to US hails safeguards from head-of-state diplomacy, as Beijing rolls out severe penalties for non-pharma Fentanyl crimes3-MIN READ3-MIN0 ListenPublished: 6:35pm, 23 Sep 2026Updated: 7:27pm, 23 Sep 2026China’s ambassador to the United States has hailed President Xi Jinping’s coming state visit as a “historic milestone” for bilateral and international relations.Under the strategic guidance of both leaders, the “giant ship” of China-us-relations" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="126944" data-entity-type="event">China-US relations would continue to “break waves and sail ahead” along a trajectory of “mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation”, Xie told state news agency Xinhua. The interview was published on Wednesday, hours before Xi’s scheduled departure for the US.Xi to get presidential airport welcome from Trump during US visit starting WednesdayThe two leaders had maintained “frequent, candid, and strategic communication on major global issues”, Xie said, noting that Xi’s trip would be the second such top-level exchange in just over four months, following Trump’s state visit in May.Head-of-state diplomacy provided “an important strategic safeguard for maintaining the overall dynamic stability of China-us-relations" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="126944" data-entity-type="event">China-US relations amid turbulent winds and rough seas”, Xie said.“We look forward to both sides using this state visit as an opportunity to further align their direction, build consensus, overcome disruptions, and accelerate progress.”Reinforcing China’s commitment to this cooperative vision, Beijing’s top legal and law enforcement authorities on Wednesday issued a set of guidelines to severely punish Fentanyl-related offences.Clearly timed as a goodwill gesture ahead of Xi’s arrival in Washington, the move directly addresses a major domestic and foreign policy priority for US President Donald Trump.