According to Bloomberg news, a US senator has stated that China must first stop the flow of fentanyl ingredients into the United States before engaging in any trade discussions. This demand complicates the likelihood of upcoming talks between leaders to ease tensions between the two largest global economies.

Steve Daines, a strong supporter of President Donald Trump, presented this condition during discussions with Chinese authorities in Beijing recently. The Republican senator expressed hope for a leadership meeting before the year's end, although President Trump had previously indicated it would occur soon.

Daines pointed out in an interview with Bloomberg News that it would be challenging to address trade tariffs and barriers until the fentanyl precursor issue is addressed. Over the weekend, Daines, who had previously assisted Trump in the initial trade conflicts with China, met with Chinese leaders including Premier Li Qiang, though not with President Xi Jinping, who had previously met with top US officials.

Despite describing the meeting with Li as positive, Daines stressed the need for China to take decisive actions to completely halt the flow of fentanyl precursors before any further trade actions by the US. This request comes in contrast to China's assertion that it has already taken strong measures against the fentanyl trade.

With escalating tariffs on both sides, the likelihood of a meeting between Xi and Trump seems to diminish, according to Dexter Roberts, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Global China Hub and Chinese politics instructor at the University of Montana. Ahead of an April 1 deadline for a US review of Beijing's trade compliance and Trump's plans for reciprocal tariffs globally, Chinese Communist Party officials engaged with Daines and global CEOs.