China published on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, a set of guidelines for handling criminal cases involving fentanyl-related substances, according to The Hindu.

The document is a joint statement by China’s Supreme People’s Court, Supreme People’s Procuratorate and Ministry of Public Security: it sets quantitative criteria for conviction and sentencing and divides the substances into medicinal and non-pharmaceutical categories. The authorities will investigate smuggling, trafficking, transportation, manufacturing, illegal possession and the use of the internet in such crimes. On Tuesday, 22 September 2026, China also added two chemicals to its export control list for drug precursors, requiring permits for shipments to the United States, Mexico and Canada, according to the Associated Press. That brings the number of chemicals under the regime to 18. Both measures come on the eve of the expected meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in Washington, according to The Hindu.