The White House says its drug “czar” convinced Chinese officials to take a stronger hand in detecting illicit fentanyl and inspecting U.S.-bound parcels that may contain the deadly synthetic opioid.

James Carroll, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, secured commitments to crack down on fentanyl after meetings with the shipping industry and touring Chinese mail-inspection facilities.

“These actions include establishing recurring law enforcement cooperation meetings, rapidly responding to leads, expanding detection and narcotics laboratory capabilities, improving tracking of postal shipments, and launching joint investigations,” the drug-policy office, known as ONDCP, said Friday.

Chief U.S. Postal Inspector Gary R. Barksdale and Mark Morgan, the acting commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, joined Mr. Carroll in Beijing.

Fentanyl is pouring into American communities and killing thousands, even as the U.S. gets a better handle on prescription painkillers that initially fueled the U.S. addiction crisis. Much of the supply comes from clandestine labs in China, so Mr. Trump wants Chinese President Xi Jinping to crack down as the two sides negotiate over trade.

“Because President Trump has been unequivocal on the need for the Chinese government to take a more proactive role in disrupting the flow of illicit fentanyl trafficked globally, Chinese officials agreed to increase cooperation with the United States on this critical issue,” ONDCP said.

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