China is the primary origin of precursor chemicals used to make fentanyl, a highly potent opioid underpinning a deadly drug epidemic in the US.

Beijing says it is open to working with Washington on curbing the crisis, although the US maintains an extra 10% tariff on Chinese goods it says is to limit fentanyl trade.

“This is the first drug-related fugitive repatriated by the US to China in recent years, marking a new achievement in China-US cooperation on anti-drug law enforcement”, Beijing’s public security ministry said in a statement on social media.

“US immigration authorities followed ‘clues’ shared by China’s narcotics control commission to repatriate a Chinese national surnamed Han,” the ministry said.

Han is suspected of “smuggling and trafficking drugs”, the ministry said without elaborating, only saying the handover took place “days ago”.

The ministry did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.