Trump gets a new deal with China

Sandy Mazza reports in the Nashville Tennesseean,

Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to help tamp down on shipments of hyper-dangerous drugs into the United States in a win for the Trump administration with implications for opioid-ravaged Tennessee.

Xi approved a long-sought U.S. request to prosecute people shipping synthetic opioids to the U.S. during his first meeting with President Donald Trump since a trade war between the two countries erupted earlier this year.

Trump and Xi also made tentative agreements to cool the still-simmering trade war and work together toward North Korean disarmament during the Saturday meeting at the international G20 forum.

...China's decision to criminalize fentanyl sales is widely viewed by U.S. officials as an important step toward curtailing the growing opioid abuse crisis that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths last year.

"President Trump’s agreement yesterday with President Xi is the single most important step that could be taken to stop the flow of deadly fentanyl," said Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN). "It will save thousands of American lives."

After the meeting, Trump also announced a reversal from plans to hike tariffs on Chinese imports to 25 percent in January. Instead, he said the increase would be delayed as talks to reduce the trade disparity between U.S. and Chinese goods continue.

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