The president-elect’s pledge to use tariffs to stem the flow of opioids from China could backfire if Beijing responds by ending counternarcotics cooperation.

Trump’s past disputes with Beijing have centered mostly on China’s huge trade surplus, not synthetic opioids. Trump expressed admiration, even love, for Chinese President Xi Jinping throughout much of his first term, even as U.S. overdose fatalities soared.

Beijing’s foreign ministry says fentanyl is US’ own problem and that China provided support ‘out of a humanitarian spirit’.