The U.S. government recently made a controversial decision and lifted sanctions against a Chinese entity.
Reporting shows that the Biden administration has lifted sanctions against China’s Institute of Forensic Science. This was done as a concession to China, who had agreed in exchange to encourage further action against fentanyl trafficking.
The move also marks the first sign of progress between the U.S. and China following a much-discussed meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco.
State Department spokesman Matt Miller said that conversations on this decision had been happening since June. Miller added, “The continued listing of the IFS on the Commerce Entity List was a barrier to achieving cooperation on stopping the trafficking of precursor chemicals.”
Miller noted that further evaluation of the issue made delisting the IFS “an appropriate step to take” to “save thousands and thousands of American lives.”