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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 31 January 2024

U.S. and China launch talks on fentanyl trafficking in a sign of

cooperation amid differences

By KEN MORITSUGU “We reached common
Associated Press understanding on the
BEIJING (AP) — American work plan for the working
and Chinese officials com- group,” he said at a cere-
mitted Tuesday to working mony marking the inaugu-
together to stem the flow ration of the group.
of fentanyl into the United Daskal said that Biden had
States, the head of a visit- sent a high-level delega-
ing U.S. delegation said. tion “to underscore the im-
Their meeting was a hope- portance of this issue to the
ful sign of cooperation as American people.”
the two global powers try She said there have been
to better manage their some drops in shipments of
contentious ties. fentanyl “precursors” from
The U.S. is seeking more in- China since the Biden-Xi
formation sharing and law meeting and stressed the
enforcement cooperation importance of information
and the designation and sharing to identify trends
control of made-in-China and keep up with fentanyl
chemicals that are ingre- producers who come up
dients for fentanyl made with substitutes when sup-
elsewhere, said Jen Daskal, plies of a particular ingredi-
a deputy homeland se- ent dry up.
curity advisor in the White U.S. Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Homeland Security Advisor Jen Daskal, left, “There’s a real sense of ur-
House. shakes hands with Chinese Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong before a meeting at the gency,” she said, noting
“Obviously we need to see Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. the high number of fen-
the results and we need to Associated Press tanyl-related fatalities in
see action,” she said in a meetings in smaller groups a handful of other areas The U.S. wants China to do the United States and the
phone interview after the on Wednesday. Fentanyl, when he and U.S. President more to curb the export of violence, corruption and
meeting. the synthetic opioid that Joe Biden met outside San chemicals that it says are instability fueled by drug
“But there was a real spirit is ravaging America, is a Francisco in November. The processed into fentanyl, cartels around the world.
of cooperation and a com- major focus, and in par- agreements were a small largely in Mexico, before China used to be a major
mitment to working togeth- ticular the ingredients and step forward in a relation- the final product is smug- supplier of fentanyl, and
er.” pill presses for the drug that ship strained by major dif- gled into the United States. the U.S. has credited Beijing
The first meeting of a new come from China. ferences on issues ranging Chinese Public Security for a 2019 crackdown that
U.S.-China counternarcot- Chinese President Xi Jinping from trade and technol- Minister Wang Xiaohong led to “a drastic reduction
ics working group will be agreed to restart coopera- ogy to Taiwan and human said the two sides had in- in seizures of fentanyl ship-
followed by more in-depth tion in drug trafficking and rights. depth and pragmatic talks. ments ... from China.”q

Colombia and the National Liberation Army rebels extend cease-

fire for a week as talks continue

By MANUEL RUEDA agreement says that both will continue to discuss
Associated Press sides will not attack each ways to “strengthen” the
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) other, and that one of the cease-fire.
— Colombia’s government goals of the cease-fire is to Colombia’s government
and the nation’s largest “improve the humanitarian has been pressing the reb-
remaining rebel group an- situation” of communities els to stop kidnappings.
nounced Monday they will affected by fighting. But the group has asked
extend their current cease- However, there are no pro- the government for alter-
fire by one week, while visions in the current cease- nate ways to finance their
delegates from both sides fire that stop the rebels from operations, and have said
who are meeting in Cuba kidnapping civilians for that they will only stop kid-
continue to discuss policies ransom or from recruiting nappings as part of a new
that could secure a longer minors, two practices that cease-fire agreement.
lasting truce. have continued to take In October, the cease-fire
In a joint statement, the place in the last months. between the government
government and the Na- The rebels meanwhile have and the ELN entered a criti-
tional Liberation Army complained that during cal moment when a group
said they will abide by the the current cease-fire, the of rebels kidnapped the
conditions of the current military has launched oper- parents of Luis Diaz, one
cease-fire, which began in ations in areas under their of Colombia’s most fa- Colombian President Gustavo Petro holds a ceremony to
August and was set to ex- control. mous soccer players. Diaz’s formally begin a six-month cease-fire as part of a process to
pire Monday night. In Monday’s joint state- mother was quickly res- forge permanent peace with the National Liberation Army
The current cease-fire ment, both sides said they cued by police.q (ELN) in Bogota, Colombia, Aug. 3, 2023.
Associated Press