US senators see a glimmer of hope for breaking a logjam with China over the fentanyl crisis

BEIJING (AP) — A group of U.S. senators visiting Beijing are expressing hope that they had opened the door ever so slightly to government talks with China on its role in the fentanyl crisis ravaging America. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping had indicated he would consider Schumer’s request to appoint a high-level official for talks on the issue. That such a small step could be hailed as progress reflects how low U.S.-China relations have fallen. China has stamped out the production of fentanyl within its borders, but the U.S. alleges that Chinese companies are now supplying the ingredients for fentanyl to Mexican drug cartels.