WASHINGTON—After meeting with President Donald Trump in Argentina on Dec. 1, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said he intends to list fentanyl as a controlled substance, “meaning that people selling fentanyl to the United States will be subject to China’s maximum penalty under the law,” according to a statement from the White House.
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, according to the CDC. It is used legally in the United States to treat severe pain and for people who are immune to weaker painkillers.
